Night Terrors
by starry-oblivion
Summary: After Splinter's death, Leonardo falls victim to grisly nightmares. When his brothers learn that that these night terrors are worse than they initially appear, they suddenly find themselves in the fight of their lives. Rated T for gore and character death
1. Chapter 1

It was starting again.

Leonardo knew that he was trapped in a nightmare. He knew that this couldn't be real. He knew that he would wake up just after the worst part was over. Yet for all of his knowledge, nothing could appease the terror that welled up within him.

The smell of burnt hair stung his senses. He refused to cringe, thinking even then that he might offend. Backing away, his arms hung uselessly at his sides, mindless of the weapons sheathed upon his back. "Please," he uttered in a small, cracked voice. "Go away. Just let me sleep. For one night, just let me sleep."

The figure in front of him grinned maliciously, its jagged teeth stained with blood and decay. Leonardo shuddered, but he would not turn away. He knew all too well what would happen if he turned away. And yet… yet he also knew what he would see if he kept his focus forwards.

The being took a jerky step towards him. It had once been a hairy creature, but the fire it had been caught in had done away with its thick mane. Leonardo observed that chunks of flesh were missing, signaling the horrific decomposition that had occurred over time. As it jolted closer to where the turtle was now pressed against the wall, the smell became too much.

Leonardo looked away to his right and saw the other figures in the shadows. Shaking his head, having hoped that it would have been different this night, he broke out into a cold sweat. "No," he murmured, seeing the two silhouetted creatures take erratic steps towards him. "Wake up. Come on, Leo, wake up."

"There's no waking up." Leonardo's head whirled around to his left. There, as always, was the worst-looking apparition of the entire nightmare. Worse even than the walking corpse of his sensei that was continuing on its journey towards him. Crouched upon the ground and looking up at him was a battered and broken Donatello.

Even within the unreality of his dream, Leonardo could feel his stomach trying to squeeze itself into his throat. Choking back the nauseous feeling, it was all the trembling turtle could do to shake his head in denial. _You're not dead_, he spoke in his mind. _You're not dead and you shouldn't be here._

As he stood slowly, the open wounds along Donatello's body oozed with what could only have been pus. Trying to press himself even deeper into the wall, Leonardo could only gape at the broken bones protruding out of his brother's flesh. They clacked against each other in a disturbingly loud and macabre way. The remnants of his bo staff could be seen still carried upon his back, but it was splintered and bloodied. Something white shone against his green skin on the side of his head, and Leonardo knew that this was his cracked skull.

Yet nothing was more terrifying than the quietly accusatory glare on Donatello's face. Leonardo found that it was the lack of vehemence on his brother's countenance that was the most appalling. Donatello seemed to simply know where blame fell, just as he had always known about chemical equations and the inner workings of machinery. It was this straightforward glance that made it difficult for Leonardo to breathe.

"You can't wake up," the strangely-normal voice of what was once one of his closest friends told him. "You can't wake up when you're in for an eternal sleep." Leonardo cringed. "I know what you're thinking," Donatello told him. "You're wondering what you're doing here, then."

"Wrong," Leonardo answered hastily, knowing full well that this was the same dialogue that transpired night after night. "This is my due. I caused one death, and so my mind is making me think I should share in that suffering. That I should wait here, in the land of the dead, until I drive myself mad and rid myself of my own pain."

Donatello shook his head slightly. "You keep making the same mistakes, Leonardo," he said almost sympathetically. "You always seem to think that you're the only one who will pay for your own errors. You should know by now that that simply isn't true. Of course, if you're that eager to suffer, you certainly won't be denied."

Just as Leonardo remembered where the dream usually took him next, he felt a thin steel grip clamp down on his wrist. Looking down, he saw a brown skeletal arm sticking out of the wall and clasping his wrist, and another snake towards his torso. He tried to escape the bony grasps, but they soon became too many and too fierce for him to fight off. They pulled him closer towards the wall, and Leonardo soon discovered that the wall was not the firm stone he had thought, but was instead moist earth. They were pulling him in. They were going to bury him alive.

His eyes went wildly to the vacant Donatello and to the evil, almost zombie version of his beloved Splinter. Suddenly, both of them, the dispassionate brother and maniacal father, grinned at him and stepped closer. Both grins were empty of mirth and only made Leonardo's skin crawl. He wondered if this reaction was actually due to maggots crawling over his body, but the strong grasp that he was in made it impossible to look down. From the corner of his eye, he saw the two still-shadowed figures edging towards him, reaching out for him. He couldn't see their faces, but he knew who they were.

They were….

* * *

"Noooooo!"

Leonardo finally pulled himself up and dug his fingers into one of the hands clutching at him. "Leo! Leo, calm down!" Startled, he squinted in the darkness and realized that he was gently being awoken by Donatello. He tried to speak, but found no words. Feeling drained and helpless, Leonardo embraced his brother and tried his best not to sob.

Donatello sympathetically held him back. These night terrors of Leonardo's had been occurring with more and more frequency as time went on. Sighing, Donatello had hoped he would be over it by now. Judging by the fury of runaway weeps, it seemed that this was not the case.

The first time had been a few days after Splinter's death. Leonardo had not let himself sleep for more than a few minutes at a time before then. Once he finally got over the guilt enough to lie down for a few hours, the nightmares began. Raphael had been the first one in the room, but was immediately pushed aside as Leonardo yelled for Donatello. Raphael and Michelangelo merely looked on, flabbergasted, as Leonardo hugged the confused Donatello and began to cry in much the same way he was currently doing. Leonardo never revealed why he needed Donatello for those first few moments after awaking, but Donatello quickly caught on to the trend and made it a point to be the first one into the room during these cases.

"Man," said a groggy voice at the door. "That was loud enough to wake up the dead." Judging by the sound of a hard slap against the back of Michelangelo's head, Donatello knew that Raphael was awake before ever hearing his voice. "Can it, Mikey. As much as I like raggin' on Leo, this is startin' to get serious."

Leonardo coughed, trying to pull himself together. "I'm fine," he choked, slowly parting from Donatello. Not making eye contact with anyone and feeling as foolishly vulnerable as he always did after one of these nightmares, he whispered, "It was just a stupid dream-"

"Like _shell_ you're fine!" Raphael growled, turning the light switch on. Three groans sounded as the turtles shielded their eyes from the sudden light. Taking a step into the room, Raphael pointed to Leonardo accusingly as he said, "You've been flippin' a lid ever since the accident. Why don't you just _tell_ us-"

"Raph, quit it!" Donatello's voice cut sharply into Raphael's attack. Still sitting on the bed besides Leonardo, he softly continued. "This has been a rough few weeks on _all_ of us. Yes, Leo's nightmares are getting bad. And yes, it would probably be in his best interests to tell someone what they're about, in case some psychological interpretations can bring something to light and at least help him rest easier. But if he can't bring himself to talk about it yet, then I can't see how we can hold it against him." Dropping his voice to a bare whisper, he finished, "We all know that _we've_ each got something we can't say out loud yet… and maybe never will."

The room was silent after Donatello's words. Leonardo looked up to see his brothers' downcast eyes. Yes, it was true. It would be foolish to think that they had not been affected by Splinter's violent demise. However, Leonardo knew that he had cause to suffer a far more passionate reaction. He had been there. He could have stopped the inevitable before it became inevitable. But he did nothing. At least, what he did was not quick enough, not direct enough,… not _good_ enough.

Repressing another choked sob, Leonardo threw his legs out of the bed and got up. "Where are you going?" Donatello asked. Still averting eye contact, Leonardo grabbed his katanas and placed them at his back. "I'm going topside," he said lowly.

"I'm comin' with ya," Raphael said. Leonardo turned sharply towards him. "No!" Raphael merely blinked at him before repeating, "I'm comin' with ya. I don't remember sayin' that ya got a choice in the matter."

"Raph, you're staying here!" Leonardo was aware of the sudden shrill quality of his voice. He needed to be alone. He needed to be away from his brothers. His dream… he knew what it meant. He had been the reason behind Splinter's death… and Donatello would somehow be next, if he wasn't careful. And the two shadowy figures in the background… over time would clearly become the two remaining members of his family. No. He was dangerous, and if he wasn't, he was irrational. Either one was reason for him to be alone.

"Leo, I remember what happened the last time ya tried to play the emo card!" Raphael continued to argue. "Ya can't just let this eat ya up, bro. I'll let ya have your stupid dreams, but this-"

"Raph, I'm going topside, and if you try to follow me, I _will_ hurt you." Perhaps it was the solemnity in Leonardo's voice that caused Raphael to simply gawk at him. Perhaps it was the fact that Leonardo's hand had gone up to touch the hilt of one of his swords. Perhaps it was the single threatening step forwards.

Whatever the case, no one stood in his way as he marched out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you certain of this, Tomoe Ame?"

The look that the young Tomoe gave Usagi was enough of an answer for him. She was, of course, telling the truth. Usagi's only worry was now whether or not he would be too late. Clenching his fist, he turned swiftly and walked towards the riverside.

"I would not tell you this if it were not a most dire situation, Usagi," Tomoe told him as she followed quickly behind him. "Your _kame_ friend was of great assistance in helping to protect Lord Noriyuki, and I desire his safety as much as you do."

"Your concern is much appreciated, Tomoe Ame," Usagi replied, not looking behind him, "as is this valuable word of warning. That does not mean that you will be coming with me."

"I would not think so," Tomoe responded. "I know nothing of his world, and would only prove myself a hindrance. I only ask that you do not attempt to free him of his troubles by way of your physical prowess. Akumu is powerful, and she will stop at nothing to destroy Leonardo-san and those closest to him, now that she has been enlisted by Hebi."

Knowing her words to be true, Usagi stopped and looked at her. "What, then, do you suggest?" Tomoe reached into her pocket, handing him a piece of chalk she had secured beforehand, knowing that it would come to this.

"Use this," she told him, "to draw the portal to the _kame_ homeworld. It will leave a trace of residual interdimensional material behind. I acquired it from Yume, and it should bring you back to her castle."

"Yume? Akumu's sister?" Usagi asked, surprised.

Tomoe nodded, still offering the chalk. "Yes," she explained. "The only one with the power to destroy one of Akumu's curses would be the one with the antithesis of her powers. Use this chalk, Usagi, and bring back the _kame_. It is the only way to end his anguish."

Usagi looked down at the gray piece of chalk in Tomoe's hand. He had always been wary of using unfamiliar magic. The writing utensil seemed to shimmer in Tomoe's palm, and he cautiously reached out for it. It felt no different than the plain white chalk he used on his trips to the Battle Nexus, but this did little to calm his suspicions. Still, this _was_ Tomoe. He knew that she would never willingly lead him astray. Yume was a good individual, and it made sense that only she would be able to counteract the ill effects of her sorceress sister's spell. For Leonardo's sake, he would have to trust it.

Grasping the chalk in his fist, Usagi raised his eyes to meet Tomoe's. "I thank you for this, Tomoe Ame." Turning away from her, he continued to where he had meant to draw the portal to Leonardo's world. "I am sure that Leonardo-san shares my sentiments." With his back turned to her, Usagi did not catch sight of Tomoe's menacing smile, nor of the bright red that suddenly glowed within her normally-dim eyes.

"Anything to assist the _kame_," she spoke quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Raph, cut that noise."

Raphael swung one final blow into his punching bag before spinning to look at Donatello. "Why," he asked heatedly, "cuz it's four a.m., and I might wake somebody up? You rather I scream and then head topside with my weapons, like ol' Fearless Leader?"

Donatello sighed, closing his book. "Look," he said, attempting to be reasonable despite his lack of sleep. "I'm not exactly enthused about the way Leo is choosing to handle this. But give him the benefit of the doubt. He's always been the one to want stability and structure. With Master Splinter gone… we don't have that anymore. Leo doesn't know what to do, and that's probably hurting him just as much as his loss and the guilt he probably feels."

"Puh," Raphael spat out, whirling back around to attack his punching bag some more. "Guilt? He thinks he's got a reason to have _guilt_?" Holding the bag steady and looking down contemplatively, he quietly added, "_We're_ the ones who gotta be feelin' the guilt. We just assumed Splinter was gonna make it outta there. We left him behind. At least Leo stayed… even if he was too far away to do anythin'."

Worried, Donatello put his book down. Ironically, he had been reading his copy of the DSM-IV, hoping that looking around for trauma-induced mental disorders would help shed some light on his brothers' recent behaviors. Other than Leonardo's night terrors, Raphael had also been behaving strangely in the wake of Splinter's death, and Donatello wasn't sure if this could be attributed to a case of borderline personality disorder or-

He didn't get the chance to bring forth his theories. From behind the sofa Donatello was sitting on, a turquoise light suddenly shone brightly. "What the-?" Raphael remarked, stepping towards Donatello and readying his sais.

Donatello stood up, shielding his eyes from the intense light. "Guys!" Michelangelo called from his bedroom. "What's with the pyrotechnics? I'm tryin' to get some shuteye!"

Just as Michelangelo made it out of his room to survey the situation, the light dimmed away and a small figure emerged from within. Lowering his hand, Donatello knew who the visitor was before his eyes fully adjusted to the newfound dimness of the room. "Usagi?"

"Pardon my rude entrance and lack of salutations, my friends," the samurai said with a quick bow, "but this is of the utmost importance." His eyes scanning the room and quickly noting that one of the turtles was missing, he asked, "Where is Leonardo-san? I must speak with him."

"He's out," Raphael answered, putting his sais back. "Clearin' his head or somethin'. Why? What's up?"

Raphael's answer seemed to trouble Usagi. Taking a step towards the turtles, the rabbit worriedly asked, "Tell me, has he been experiencing violent dreams as of late?" Not liking the fact that Leonardo's nightmares might have something to do with Usagi's unexpected appearance, Donatello responded that he had.

Looking down, Usagi murmured, "Then it is as Tomoe Ame feared." Returning his gaze to the three brothers who were gathering around him, Usagi took a deep breath before going into his explanation. "The news of the great Hamato Splinter's death has stretched across the multiverse, and Lord Hebi hopes to finally gain his revenge on Leonardo now that the four of you are without a leader. It has been whispered that a powerful sorceress named Akumu has been hired by Hebi, which would prove disastrous. Her magic attacks the mental realms of her victims, and she takes the most pleasure in toying with the minds of those who are sleeping. This makes them shiftless, aggravated… and she enjoys more than anything to play with her prey before issuing the death blow."

"Sounds like a great gal to go on a date with," Michelangelo murmured sarcastically. Unaccustomed to the use of wryness, Usagi looked at him quizzically before the turtle was pushed away by Raphael. "You sayin'," Raphael started, "that this Akumu chick's the reason Leo's been so messed in the head?"

Usagi nodded. "This is so, as far as rumor and observation have led me to believe. I have come here in hopes of disproving this idea, but what you tell me about Leonardo-san's present state has led me to realize otherwise." Looking down, he sighed and added, "I am to bring him to Yume-sama, then. Perhaps she can help."

"Yume-sama?" Donatello asked.

Meeting Donatello's eyes, Usagi explained, "Yume is the sister of Akumu. They are polar opposites, the two of them. One is the yin to the other's yang, to speak metaphorically. Tomoe Ame has made it so that my next journey back into my world will lead me straight into Yume-sama's castle. I was to bring Leonardo-san there and hope that she would be able to heal him of her sister's darker magic."

Looking back to his book on the sofa, Donatello muttered, "Magic. I never _did_ like magic." He gazed at the rabbit and told him, "Usagi, I don't know. Leo's told us about your world, and I don't think he'll be able to handle it right now. What if Hebi discovers that Leo's over there and sends out an attack? Leo's in bad shape, and I don't know if the three of us have got what it takes to get him out of it-"

"Maybe _you_ ain't got what it takes," Raphael interjected, suddenly twirling his sais between his fingers. "But if one 'a Hebi's assassin punks tries to lay a finger, paw, or tentacle on my bro, I'm goin' to town."

"There will be no need for a voyage into the town, Raphael-san," Usagi said. "Yume's castle is in the middle of a lush forest. There would be many chances for you to use your Shinobi training amidst the cover of trees."

"Cool it, bro," Michelangelo told Raphael, choosing to ignore the easy joke in the rabbit's misunderstanding. "Seriously, I think the last thing Usagi's planet needs is Mount Raph to go off and spread destruction everywhere. I kinda see where Donnie's going with this. When we get right down to it, Leo's _sick_. This is like sending him into outer space while he's got the flu or something. Only… this is sending him into… a different dimension… with a mind flu. Get me?"

"I understand your concern," Usagi spoke before Raphael could make a retort. "However, Yume-sama has most likely already heard of Lord Hebi's plot, and is expecting me to return with Leonardo. The best that I can do is await his return, and then the three of you may join us. If there is any trouble, rest assured that I trust in our capabilities to keep Leonardo—and one another—safe from harm."

"Sorry, Usagi," Donatello said sternly. "Until I know who this Yume-sama is and understand what she intends to do to my brother, I'm not giving up on simple psychology. Despite everything I've seen, I remain convinced that a case of nightmares is nothing that Leonardo shouldn't be able to get over with the help of some psychological medicine."

"Your strange medicine may work, Donatello-san," Usagi said, mystified by this unfamiliar medicinal science Donatello seemed to place such stock in. "Let us reach a compromise, then. Come with me to speak to Yume-sama, and we shall see whose argument stands: her magic, or your science. If nothing else, it shall perhaps soothe your mind as to the intent behind Yume-sama's involvement."

"Hold up a minute," Raphael interrupted. "I'm goin' with you. If we're worried that it's too dangerous for Leo, how we know it might not be too dangerous for Don?" Michelangelo nodded his head and agreed, also offering to go with them.

Shaking his head, Usagi said, "There is no need, my friends. You fear for Leonardo's safety because his disturbing dreams have weakened him, and this is understandable. Donatello-san is as strong as ever, and so he is well fortified against any potential danger. Besides, this may prove most useful. I myself am wary of using magic that I have never before dealt with. Perhaps Donatello-san's intellect will see through any flaw in the mysticism and also ease my own doubts." Intrigued, Donatello murmured, "The world of magic meets the world of science. I like it."

Looking at Raphael and Michelangelo, Usagi said, "In any case, Leonardo-san will not take kindly to returning to an empty home. You shall stay here. The portal I am using to travel back and forth between my world and yours is of a special make, and should make it far simpler for Leonardo-san to travel through. If he returns before Donatello-san and I do, you can decide whether you wish to relay the story and follow after us. Otherwise, we shall be back as soon as our scholarly debate is over." Not without some misgivings, the two turtles watched as Donatello gathered a duffel bag with some equipment while Usagi reopened the portal.

With a single wave from Donatello, the pair soon went on their journey.


	4. Chapter 4

Landing on the street, Leonardo looked down at the manhole cover at his feet.

A light rain was falling, but he barely paid it any mind. The cold was refreshing; but no matter how awake he felt, he still could not get over his nightmares. The shadows in the dark alleys that used to signal safety were now symbols of foreboding. What was hiding behind the trash cans? Would a man in a dark overcoat actually prove to be a walking mutant corpse?

Even as these thoughts flooded his mind, Leonardo knew they were foolish. And yet, he could not deny that he was anxious to return home for one reason only: to be sure his brothers were safe. He had always been protective of them, but everything was different know. He _had_ to protect them. They had to protect _each other_. They were all they had now.

Fear still pacing through his veins, Leonardo lifted the cover and slipped into the sewer. Once below, he let the stuffy air and the familiar smell of sewage take over. They helped to provide a sense of normalcy… but only for a moment. The steadily trickling water made him wonder if someone was hiding in the dimness and waiting for him to lower his guard once again. Unsheathing a single blade, Leonardo quickly sprinted towards the lair.

It was not long before he approached. Drawing near, he could hear his brothers' voices. Raphael and Michelangelo. Arguing. This hardly seemed unusual, yet Leonardo felt the need to remain silent as he entered the room in which his brothers were having a heated discourse.

"Hey, don't go blaming _me_, all right?" Michelangelo yelled at his sibling. Fuming, Raphael replied, "No one ever said I'm _blamin'_ you, Mikey. Jeez, and ya call _me_ the hothead. All I'm sayin' is that we was stupid to let 'im go. _We_. Both of us. Stupid. Ya got that, shell-for-brains?"

As they continued to yell at one another, Leonardo gradually came to two realizations. One was that the center of the room—around where Raphael was heatedly pacing—seemed to shimmer slightly, as though there were an invisible flame on the ground. This struck him as odd until the second realization hit him with greater force. His brothers weren't referring to _him_.

Raphael and Michelangelo quieted down when they caught sight of their brother stepping into view. "Where is he?" Leonardo asked with veiled panic. "Where did Donnie go?" Walking towards Leonardo, Michelangelo tried to speak calmly. "Hey, don't worry about it bro. Looks like there's a bit of a problem-"

Raphael was shocked to see Leonardo drop his sword and rush at Michelangelo, nearly pushing him to the floor. "Where is he?" Leonardo nearly screamed. "What's happened to him? Damn you, Mikey, spit it out and tell me what's-"

"Whoa, whoa," Raphael broke in, quickly pulling Leonardo off of Michelangelo. "Leo, calm down. I dunno why you're favorin' Don all of a sudden, but ease off 'a us long enough for us to explain." Raphael marveled over the heavy breathing coming from Leonardo as he allowed himself to be pulled back so that Michelangelo could step away from them.

"We had a visitor," Michelangelo stated, still shaky from the unexpected attack. "Your bunny buddy, Usagi. Looks like that Hebi character's still got a vendetta against you, and it's actually _his_ fault you can't sleep at night. Donnie and Usagi went back to talk to some wizard chick about lifting some dream spell from ya, since Donnie's not exactly a fan of Hogwarts or anything."

The slightly inadequate explanation did nothing to change Leonardo's demeanor. Pulling free of Raphael, he kept his stern gaze on Michelangelo. "And you let him go? Alone? That's crazy!"

"He wasn't alone," Raphael interjected. "Usagi was with 'im, remember?"

As though he had never been interrupted, Leonardo asked, "Is there any way to contact him?" Michelangelo took out his shell cell and looked at it. Fiddling with the buttons, he said, "We tried calling him right after he left, but it looks like he's not getting any service over there."

Leonardo made an exasperated sound and began looking around the room. "A marker. Give me a marker! I don't know how to get to Usagi's homeworld, but I can get to the Battle Nexus. Maybe the Daimyo can get me there so I can bring Donnie back."

As Leonardo began to dash through the room in his search for a writing utensil, Raphael shadowed him carefully. "Leo," he finally said, "get a grip on yourself. Donnie's a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, he's with Usagi-"

"That has nothing to do with this!" Leonardo nearly screamed, flashing Raphael an angry look. "You have no idea what's going on, Raph, so I'd appreciate it if you just got out of my way and let me do what I need to do to protect our brother!"

"Hey, what's with you?" Raphael barked, grabbing hold of Leonardo's upper arm. "Usagi's with him, or did you not get that memo? Usagi, the rabbit who can probably whip your butt in a fair fight. One of your best friends. They're goin' to meet up with someone Usagi knows, and they're doin' it for _you_."

"So you're saying it's _my_ fault if something happens to Don?"

From his spot a few feet away from his brothers, Michelangelo could clearly sense the change in the conversation. "You see him die," he said quietly. Leonardo slowly turned his gaze to meet Michelangelo's eyes. "At night. When you dream. That's why you wake up yelling for him. Every night, you see him die."

Feeling slightly ashamed by the somewhat hurt way Michelangelo was speaking, Leonardo shook his head. "No," he said. "No, that's not what-" Michelangelo wouldn't let him finish. Death was a sensitive subject for the brothers, and rarely did they ever allow themselves to talk about it.

"I don't get it, then," Michelangelo blurted out. "I don't get what's so bad. I mean, I love Donnie and all, but watching someone die in a dream is like watching a movie. At least, unless it's a documentary. Cuz you know who I watch die every night, Leo? Splinter. Every night. I watch him die. But I don't know how it happened. The last thing I remember is turning away from him and heading outta there, and I could swear I see him looking upset, upset that we all deserted him. But not you. You never would. So you got to see it happen. I didn't. So my imagination fills in the blanks. My imagination that's been gorging itself on horror movies for as long as I can remember. And I can bet that whatever happens to Donnie in your little night terrors, or whatever he calls them… it's nothing like what I see. Because what I see really happened, on some level."

It was the most Michelangelo spoke at a time since Splinter's death. Leonardo was moved, and he felt ashamed that his sense of urgency had not died down. "Mikey," he eventually murmured. "If I don't help Donnie, then my dreams might just become real. I know it sounds crazy, but if there's a spell involved, I don't think we can take any chances."

"No, we can't," Michelangelo agreed. "And we're _not_. That's why me and Raph are coming with you." Leonardo shook his head and took a step backwards, his shell bumping into Raphael. Before Leonardo could even voice his disapproval, Raphael put his hands on his brother's shoulders in a surprising effort to keep him calm.

"No use yellin' over it, bro," Raphael told him. "Usagi even said that we should come with ya if you get back before he and Donnie do. You ain't in tiptop shape, and like you and Mikey said, we can't take no chances."

"The portal Usagi created is still open," Michelangelo explained, gesturing towards the space of empty air that seemed to quiver. "After they left, I took out my yo-yo and hurled it in to test it. It disappeared, but wouldn't come back to me. I had to ditch it. So whatever this portal's made of, it's now a one-way street after Usagi came through. We can go in, but we'll need to find another way to come back."

Having calmed down slightly, Leonardo was allowed to leave Raphael's grip and edge towards the portal. "I don't like this," he finally asserted. "What would make Usagi use a special portal? He isn't the type that would use magic."

"Sounds like more excuses, buddy boy," Raphael remarked. "Usagi said something about making it easier for you to follow after him. He probably figured that you'd be in the wrong frame 'a mind to concentrate on openin' a normal one by yourself, so he's lessenin' the strain. Besides, this is better than your run-'a-the-mill portal: it won't let any potential bad guys from over _there_ make it over _here_."

Leonardo said nothing for a long time. He merely stood in silence, glaring into the wavering image of the gateway to Usagi's homeworld. At length, he managed to voice exactly what it was that had been bothering both Raphael and Michelangelo about the portal ever since they discovered that the yo-yo could not be retrieved.

"Yes… but it also means that _Donnie_ also can't make it over here."


	5. Chapter 5

"This is strange. Very strange."

Usagi did not like the looks of this. After emerging on the other end of the portal, he had expected to find himself in the foyer of Yume's castle, standing before Yume herself. Instead, he and Donatello were in a bare, dark room set in dusty stone. A dirty window above them allowed some amount of moonlight to enter, but they were otherwise mostly blind to their surroundings.

"After stepping into a joint like this," Donatello breathed, "the last thing I need to hear is a sense of doubt from _you_, Usagi." He ventured another step inside, then turned to look back. They appeared to have come from a solid wall. Reaching behind him, he pushed his hand against it. Nothing. The portal was gone.

"This is _not_ Yume-sama's abode," Usagi proclaimed. He unsheathed his sword and sniffed at the air. "But I fear that we may learn who dwells here soon enough," he added, looking towards a cracked wooden door.

It suddenly crashed open, a score of _neko_ ninja storming in. Donatello only had enough time to grab hold of his bo before one of them threw a smoke bomb towards the confused pair. Coughing, Donatello fell to his knees and swept his bo blindly in front of him. He seemed to have caught at least one of the ninja, but that didn't stop two of them from blindsiding him and wrenching the weapon out his hands before swiftly binding his arms behind him.

"The _kame_ is secured," one of them hissed to his comrades in the darkness. "What of the _ronin_?" Donatello heard a scuffle to his right and almost felt embarrassed to realize that Usagi was still struggling fiercely whereas he had been efficiently captured. "He is putting up resistance," exclaimed a ninja attempting to pin down Usagi. "Take the _kame_ to Akumu while we get him under control."

Donatello was wrenched up to his feet just as he made the connection. _Akumu! _He thought. _Yume's sister! Usagi's been duped! We're in the base of the _evil_ twin!_

The smoke clearing, Usagi could just make out the outline of his captive friend being dragged out of the room by half of the _neko_ ninja in the room. They apparently did not desire to take any chances. He was about to speed after them when he felt something strike him hard in the back of his head. Falling to the floor, Usagi shook his head, determined not to let them overtake him. He did not know how he had ended up in Akumu's castle rather than Yume's, but he was now determined to get Donatello out of there before Leonardo and the others joined them.

Someone grabbed at his arm, and he fluidly slashed his sword to his left, nearly cringing at the cry of pain coming from his assailant. "One day," he told his still-unseen opponents, "when you have learned the meaning of honor, you will be able to use your skill for something more worthwhile than mercenary work." Sensing two others coming in behind him, Usagi turned swiftly and leapt in the air, releasing a double kick that sent the two ninja flying. "Unfortunately," he continued, landing lightly upon the ground, "it would seem that day is long forthcoming."

Paying no mind to the remaining enemy coming for him, Usagi sped out of the room, looking about for Donatello. Thinking he heard something to his right, he raced off in that direction, sword still in hand. He knew that he would need to keep track of where he went. Akumu was renowned for her mastery of grotesque illusion and vicious attacks on the senses. If he and Donatello were split up, and he was separated from the portal through which his friends would arrive, there would be no telling what unspeakable horrors may befall him.

Or, even worse, what would befall the turtles.


	6. Chapter 6

"What's _this_?"

As the shuddering hiss questioned the _neko_ ninja forcing him into a kneeling position, Donatello cringed. He knew this voice. He had never heard it before, at least not in the conscious world, but he knew it just the same. He felt that he heard it many times, whispering past his face just before breaking into what would turn into a roar had he not woken himself up. This voice was not a voice at all, but a heavy, foreboding presence. This voice was the material interwoven between the threads of every nightmare.

The allusion hardly reached his mind when caught sight of the dark creature crawling out of the shadows. Donatello's skin itched as he looked at the being that was undoubtedly the source of his brother's current night terrors. He hardly felt at all surprised to see a large, gray spider scuttle towards him.

"You _fools_," she screamed/hissed at her ninja. "This is _not_ the one called Leonardo! You have brought me the wrong _kame_!" She seemed to tremble for a moment, just before a sudden bright silver light swept the room, like lightning emanating from her body. Against his better judgment, Donatello cried out and shielded his eyes, ducking his head down.

The normally-silent ninjas at his side shouted in what seemed like a mixture of pain and terror, making Donatello sick to his stomach. So, _this_ was what Hebi was up to. Somehow, Usagi was given the wrong piece of chalk (or, perhaps, misinformed as to the chalk's purpose), and told to bring Leonardo here. Once in Akumu's clutches, she would be able to get rid of both Leonardo _and_ Usagi, saving Hebi the trouble. Two for the price of one.

But was that _really_ what was going on?

Donatello had a dim memory of when he had first met Usagi in the Battle Nexus. The rabbit had been fighting Leonardo during the tournament, and Leonardo suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious. He had been injected with a poison and nearly died. Later on, it had been revealed that the Daimyo's son was to blame, ridding Donatello of the distrust he bore towards Usagi since then. Now, that distrust had come back. Perhaps Usagi _hadn't_ been tricked. Perhaps he was in line with Akumu. Perhaps he knew very well what the chalk would do, and feared that Donatello and the others would stand in his way of doing Leonardo one last turn. After all, how else could Donatello explain having been captured so easily, whereas Usagi was nowhere in the vicinity? Could he… could he possibly have reopened the portal and be bringing in the rest of his brothers, one by one, before dealing with Leonardo?

Donatello shook his head fiercely, trying to get these atrocious thoughts out of his head. They _were_ atrocious, weren't they? Usagi was their trusted friend, and Donatello himself had said that he would never again doubt him after the samurai proved his innocence in the Battle Nexus affair.

The turtle had not been aware that his eyes were squeezed shut until he slowly pried them open. Looking downwards, he could see the shadow of the spider creature known as Akumu, and was horrified to realize that he didn't dare look up. A decayed, charred smell had filled the room, and Donatello briefly wondered if this stemmed from Akumu or from what she had done to the misguided _neko_ ninja. It did not take him long to conclude that it was a mixture of both.

"Ah, but this one may just serve me better," the hiss came again, lower, almost seductive. "You are called Donatello, correct?" When he didn't answer, something that sounded like the rustling of dry leaves trickled out of her mouth. Donatello disdainfully realized that this was her version of laughter. "What, have the _neko_ caught your tongue?" She allowed a moment of silence to pass before slinking another step closer. Donatello embarrassedly noted his wince at the movement. "But of course," she said. "I must appear daunting. This is no way for us to carry on a conversation."

Still looking downwards, Donatello saw a strange mist begin to rise from the ground. An odd sound arose, wet and disgusting in nature. Concentrating on the shadow before him, Donatello saw that the being in front of him was changing. A shapeshifter. That was all he needed. He shuddered to think of what sort of horrible creature Akumu would turn into, and decided that whatever it was, it _had_ to be better than the furry creature with the eight long, spindly legs and unimaginable red eyes.

Daring a glance upwards, he saw that he was wrong.

The last of the spider's gray hair just finished tucking itself away in a bun of bright red. The eyes maintained their luminosity and unsettling quality, but there were only two of them now, both a deep shade of green. As though these two features didn't seem colorful enough for the bleak setting, a purple halter top and khaki cargos were just done being fitted over the new figure. With a lump in his throat, Donatello realized that he was staring up at his longtime friend, April O'Neil.

"Well, that's better," the creature said in a perfect imitation of April's voice, looking about herself and seeming to dust herself off. "I'd rather you look at me dumbfounded than not look at me at all." Seeing no reaction from the turtle, the April clone hunched down over her knees, eyeing him with what seemed to be concern. "Donnie? You okay?"

Donatello blinked, unable to do much else but gawk at the figure before him. Even her mannerisms matched that of April's perfectly. That look in her eyes… and she had called him _Donnie_… how else could she…?

But no, Donatello's logical mind quickly came up with an answer. If Akumu could manipulate the subconscious images in a person's dream, then she could just as easily make him think that the creature in front of him was April. Perhaps she was actually little more than a blank-faced mannequin, and it was simply his memories of April that were coloring the experience. If he imagined a scar on April's forearm, perhaps this pseudo-April would develop a scar as well, only to match his mental suggestion.

However, he knew before he even tried anything that this wouldn't be the case. It was the _sub_conscious that Akumu attacked. And for all of his knowledge, Donatello couldn't alter what his subconscious knew. His unconscious mind _knew_ what April looked like, and no matter how much he consciously tried to interfere with the mold Akumu had created, he could not fight against it. His senses were going to be assaulted.

Jumping to his feet and backing away, Donatello remarked, "Nice trick, Akumu. But I'm not biting." He reached behind him for his bo, but quickly remembered that he had lost it during his brief battle with the _neko_ ninjas. He still had his bag slung over his shoulder; if he could only reach in and grab something useful before he was forced to use brawn instead of his brains….

The thing with April's face looked up at him with an air of perplexity. "Akumu? Don, I think you hit your head too hard." She stood, grabbing something up off the floor. "Here. Looking for this?" As she asked the question, she tossed the large item towards him. Surprised, he instinctually caught it. Looking down, he saw that she had just given him his bo staff. Clenching it hard, he realized that it felt just as real in his hand as the duffel bag felt resting against his side. He didn't know whether that relieved or distressed him.

"Man, you all right, bro?" Donatello whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice. As he turned, he saw a painfully well-known sight: he was in their old lair, before Karai had it destroyed. He was home. Standing in front of him was a reluctantly-repentant Raphael, a concerned Leonardo, a vaguely-bemused Michelangelo… and… and….

"Sensei?"

Standing just outside of the perimeter of the training area, Master Splinter returned his gaze worriedly. "Yes, Donatello?" The words were simple enough. Two words, one sentence that he had probably said more times than Donatello had realized. And yet… yet they were the first words he had heard his sensei say since that awful day months ago. He couldn't even remember what Splinter's last words to him had been, and the comfortable voice that suddenly came back to him in five syllables hurt more than he could have imagined.

The world before him wavered, and the uncomfortable and troubled looks from those closest to him informed Donatello that he was crying. Sobbing, actually. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and without turning around, he knew that it was April. But he couldn't look at her. Something in the back of his mind bothered him, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to look at her. Not now. Not yet.

"Way to go, Mr. Can't-Take-a-Joke," Michelangelo remarked to Raphael. "_I'm_ way over here, and yet you managed to bean Donnie on the head hard enough for him to lose his marbles."

"Quiet, Mikey," Leonardo sternly scolded. "Go read a comic book or something." In a softer voice, he asked Donatello, "Donnie, are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

"He landed on his bag," April said from behind him. "I think he got the wind knocked out of him and just got a little disoriented or something. Is that what happened, Don?"

Without thinking, Donatello turned around and faced April. She was still gazing at him with that sort of perplexed concern. In that quick instance, Donatello couldn't remember why he hadn't wanted to look at her before. She was his best friend, and something about her always made him feel better. He dropped his hand to a spot on his abdomen, and sure enough, he felt a dull pain edging away. "Yeah," he responded. "Raph just threw me off-balance. It's gonna ache for a while, but so long as my equipment's fine, I should be okay."

"Then I would suggest," Splinter brought up, "that you and Miss O'Neil take inventory of the contents of your bag someplace that would put some distance between yourself and your sparring brothers."

Donatello looked at Splinter for a long time, wondering why he had begun bawling like that. Raphael offered a smart aleck sort of apology, but Donatello was too wrapped up in trying to remember why he had called for his sensei just a few moments ago. As April called for him to follow her out of the room, Donatello shook his head and tagged along behind her.

He discarded his feelings as remnants of a bad dream, and nothing more.


	7. Chapter 7

Usagi stopped when he sensed a familiar presence.

Rarely led astray by his sixth sense, he looked to the closed door that seemed to pull at him. He needed to go in there. Something was waiting for him.

Readying himself for an attack, Usagi rushed at the door, his sword and sheer strength tearing it from its hinges. As powerful as Akumu may be, her workmanship was shoddy. _Perhaps she would do well to spend more time in the physical realm_, Usagi thought absently as he easily dispensed of a single sentry standing within the room.

As he looked down at the unconscious ninja that had hardly put up a fight, Usagi heard a sound from behind him and quickly spun around. Bloodied and battered, he was aghast to see his old friend chained to the wall. "Tomoe Ame!"

The young girl groaned and trembled as she forced herself to look upwards towards the voice. "U… Usagi?" The rabbit ran towards her, dropping his weapon as her legs seem to buckle under her. Grabbing hold of her waist and propping her up as one hand flew to the chains binding her, he asked her what had happened.

A series of sighs and coughs came as the initial answer. Looking into her face, Usagi saw that Tomoe Ame appeared exhausted and emaciated. She had clearly not had any food or sleep in quite some time. As he used his other sword to pry the chains from her too-thin wrists, Usagi knew what had happened. Akumu had gotten her out of the way in order to give Usagi the enchanted chalk, under the premise that he would be helping Leonardo. How long had it been since the two of them had switched places? Surely, this much damage could not have occurred over a mere day or two. _The sadistic witch_, Usagi thought, clenching his fist tightly as Tomoe shook her head in an attempt to come to her senses. _How long had she been needlessly toying with Tomoe Ame just to get to me?_

The chains gave way with a sudden clatter, causing Tomoe's arms to abruptly fall to her sides. Being freed from her confines seemed to help her get her bearings straight. Attempting to right herself in Usagi's arms, she told him, "I do not know what has happened. One moment, I am in my own bed, and in the next…." She closed her eyes and looked away, as though willing the images behind her eyelids to disappear. "Horrible, horrible dreams. Interspersed with what I now know to have been reality." Opening her eyes once more, she looked into the face of her trusted friend. "What has happened, Usagi? Is Lord Noriyuki all right?"

"Lord Noriyuki is fine, as far as I can tell," Usagi answered. "This is not about him. You have been subjected to one of Sorceress Akumu's dream spells, in order to help her exact revenge upon Leonardo-san and his brothers… and probably myself as well."

"Sorceress Akumu?" Tomoe's eyes widened in fright. "Usagi, tell me we are not in her domain. If that is true, then nothing we see with our eyes can be relied on." Seeing her hands clutching his sleeves, Usagi could do little more than help to steady her on her feet.

Taking a cautious step away from her, Usagi looked down to his dropped sword before stooping to retrieve it. Knowing that he now bore the burden of protecting Tomoe as he searched for Donatello before finding a way to keep the rest of the turtles from coming into this world, he solemnly said, "Then we must rely upon something other than what we see with our eyes."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Usagi."

Surprised, Usagi turned swiftly, raising his sword towards the unknown voice. His blade met with another and sang out into the dark room. He was about to strike again when he blinked in surprise at the three unannounced arrivals. "Leonardo-san?"

Leonardo looked different from what Usagi had remembered. This worried him for a moment, but the worry quickly gave way to relief. Of course Leonardo would look different. The passing of his master had aged him, making his smooth green skin seem etched with care. Lines had emerged around the turtle's eyes, and Usagi took this as a scar of Akumu's evil workings as he attempted to sleep. As much as it pained him to see his old ally in such a hardened, worn state, it also gladdened him. These details would not have come to Akumu's mind, and so Usagi could rest assured that this Leonardo was the true one, as were his two brothers standing besides him. "Leonardo-san," Usagi started. "Forgive me. I-"

"Where's Donatello?" Usagi quickly closed his mouth at the question. Not liking even the momentary reticence, Leonardo took another step towards Usagi. The samurai barely had time to notice that the ninja had not sheathed his sword before he was forced to duck out of the way of a sudden swipe. "Answer me, Usagi. Where's my brother?"

Startled by the unexpected violence, Tomoe had called Usagi's name and rushed to his side. At the same time, Raphael and Michelangelo had each grabbed hold of one of Leonardo's arms, keeping him at bay. "Easy, Leo," Raphael was saying. "Put the toys away before ya hurt somebody!"

Before Leonardo could retaliate, Usagi rushed in with the truth. "He was captured in an ambush mere seconds after our arrival. I was searching for him when I stumbled upon Tomoe Ame."

A small air of surprise dawning on him, Leonardo looked at the girl at Usagi's side. Her posture made it seem as though she was taking strength from Usagi while at the same time was determined to defend him if Leonardo should strike again. "T… Tomoe Ame? I didn't recognize you."

"It has been a long time, Leonardo-san," came her reply. Seeing that Tomoe's haggard appearance seemed to affect Leonardo's anger, Usagi took a wary step forwards. "Leonardo-san, we have all fallen victim to Akumu's sorcery. Though I had hoped to retrieve your brother and return him to your world before your arrival, I would be dishonest if I claimed to not be gladdened by your appearance. Whatever Akumu has done to you, we shall undo it, no matter what the cost."

Leonardo gazed at Usagi steadily as he spoke. His brothers' grip on him slackened, and he pulled himself away just enough to give the others his shell. "Let's just make one thing clear," he said at last. Looking at the others over his shoulder, he murmured, "Donatello _won't_ be the cost."

"Leonardo-san," Usagi said earnestly, steadfastly meeting Leonardo's gaze, "I would rather see myself mortally wounded than risk the life of you or any of your brothers. You are all the closest to family I currently have."

"Great, so we're all buddy-buddy," Michelangelo broke in. He had been dividing his attentions between what was going on in this small room and listening for any signs of danger outside the broken-down door. "Now that we've got that all out of the way, how about we try and find Donnie and hightail it out of here."

Looking down at the _neko_ ninja that was still out cold from Usagi's entrance, Tomoe Ame brought up, "I suggest we attempt to pinpoint Sorceress Akumu's exact location rather than running blindly through the corridors. The more time we simply walk about and try doors will only make Akumu more aware of our presence, which could lead to an onslaught of illusions. We _are_ in her stronghold, after all."

"And since she has been working on Leonardo-san for quite some time," Usagi added, "her hold on him now will be especially strong. Now that he is in our world, she will not have to wait until he is asleep to work her magic."

"Then lemme work _my_ magic," Raphael growled, crouching down besides the unconscious ninja. Grabbing him roughly by the shoulder, he began shaking the ninja violently. "Yo, minion, rise and shine!" Pulling the mask off of the guard's face, Raphael quickly began losing his patience. "Open your eyes, punk, while I'm still lettin' ya live!"

Much to Usagi and Tomoe's surprise, the ninja's eyes soon began fluttering as he slowly regained consciousness. Grasping that he was surrounded by the enemy, the ninja quickly informed them that their attempts would prove futile, as he would never disclose any information to them. Hunching down behind Raphael, Michelangelo grinned mischievously as he lazily began twirling a nunchuck.

"Vell, _mein herr_," he spoke lowly, "ve haff vays of making you talk."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey April, hand me that wrench over there."

"Sure thing, Don," came the reply. Tool in hand, Donatello continued repairing the half-demolished invention that had been in his bag. "You're lucky you didn't land on it on your shell," April mused, watching him work. "You'd have to throw the whole thing away as scrap metal."

With a laugh, Donatello responded, "With me, there's no such thing as scrap metal." Even as he tinkered with the screws on the casing of his gadget, something bothered Donatello. He was in his familiar home. The sounds of his brothers sparring carried over from behind the desk he was working at. April offered him her assistance as she waited for Casey to reply to her instant messages on his laptop. And yet…. "What day is today?"

April looked up at him. "Hm?" Donatello repeated his question, not sure why he decided to ask it. With a moment's thought, April answered, "Thursday." Noting Donatello's contemplative frown, she asked, "Why? What is it?"

It took Donatello a moment before he could put his finger on it. "That's funny. Mikey's usually crashed in front of the television by this time Thursday nights, watching his program. In fact…." He paused for a moment before looking over at his family. "By this time on _most_ nights, we're usually done training."

From the corner of his eye, he saw April shrug. "Maybe Splinter thinks Mikey and Raph need the workout. With all of the weird happenings going on lately-"

"That's just it," Donatello interrupted, so deep in thought that he hadn't even realized that he had stood and was narrowing his eyes at his brothers sparring by the pool. "I remember someone telling me that _I_ should be training harder. If only…." _If only I could get rid of this mental block._

In the back of his mind, Donatello could remember being chastised on his fighting style, being told that he was far too passive. It was a complaint Splinter had often voiced, but this dim memory didn't seem to contain Splinter. For some reason, it was Leonardo that was bearing down on him. And yet Splinter was still a part of the conversation. If Donatello had only been more aggressive, this phantom Leonardo was saying, then maybe Splinter wouldn't have-

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bright light coming from the bridge over their pool. As the light turned a blinding shade of turquoise, Donatello heard a clatter as April rose from her chair, knocking it to the ground. "Oh no," she cried out, a hand going to Donatello's arm.

"Arm yourselves, my sons!" Splinter called as Michelangelo and Raphael merely gaped at the widening portal. "It would appear that Lord Hebi has sent his mercenary to attack us once more." Donatello uncertainly unsheathed his bo, seeing that the only person who had actively armed himself at their sensei's bidding was Leonardo.

"And _this_ will be the last time!" Leonardo growled besides his master. As Donatello gasped in shock, Leonardo ran straight for the portal just as shadowy figures could be seen emerging from the other side. "Miyamoto Usagi!" Leonardo screamed out. "Leave my family alone!"

"Leo!" Donatello called. "No!" But it was too late. Just as Leonardo leapt for the portal, a small, lithe being jumped into their lair, two katana unsheathed and waiting. Seeing the airborne turtle make towards him, a simple change in his direction made it possible for him to not even have to worry about a fight. Leonardo could do nothing to change his course by the time he realized that Usagi's twin blades were aimed directly at his abdomen.

Chilled, Donatello willed himself to look away. Everything was too silent, too eerie. He had almost convinced himself that they had missed one another, when the droplets of crimson began raining down into the green water of their pool. He could hear his own pounding heartbeat just before perceiving the unmistakable sound of his brother hitting the bridge. Of his brother's _body_ hitting the bridge.

Holding his breath, Donatello slowly turned his head. His steady yet booming heartbeat making him feel as though he were caught in a macabre film, he managed to see just as Miyamoto Usagi landed on the ground. A smirk overcame the rabbit's white, sadistic face as he gazed lovingly upon his bloodied swords. "And so," he whispered into the deathly quiet lair, "it ends."

Donatello realized that April's grip upon his arm had become one of steel. It seemed as though no one in the room dared to breathe, dared to move. Everything was frozen, preserved. Recording the passing of an older brother who never wanted anything more than what was best for his family. Time _had_ to stop, time _had_ to cease to exist… because time without Leonardo suddenly didn't seem to matter to Donatello.

Someone finally broke the stillness with an anguished cry. Donatello had expected Raphael to be the first to strike, and was only the more amazed and appalled when he saw that it was Splinter.

Splinter dove for the treacherous mercenary Usagi, ready to destroy him for taking away his most responsive pupil. Just as he was but two inches away from the still-smirking rabbit, a large, brown, fur-covered fist crashed out of the portal and collided into him, sending the rat flying.

The second assault got the three turtles moving. As Michelangelo and Raphael assumed offensive positions, Donatello pried April off of him and leapt closer to the grisly scene. Behind Usagi, the feared assassin warthog Kojima stepped into view, cracking the knuckles of his oversized clawed fist. "Enough, old rat," he snorted, reaching behind him as he spoke. "Succumb to darkness, as is fitting for vermin of your kind."

What happened next was a quick sequence of events that drove Donatello into a rage that he had never known possible. From behind his back, Kojima withdrew three of his potent bombs and flung them at the injured Splinter. With another gasp, Donatello found himself suddenly immobile as a look of realization and then disappointment overtook Splinter's face. "No!" The word came from two voices at once, and Donatello merely stood back as he felt Raphael from his side and April from behind him rush to Splinter's defense.

And then the grenades went off.

The explosion was more powerful than Donatello had anticipated, knocking him off his feet. As his shell hit a wall, he heard three screams rise up from the sudden cover of smoke. One was old and feeble, another was angry and disbelieving, and another was high-pitched and feminine. But Donatello knew that they all shared one distinctive quality. They were all death cries.

Pushing himself up to his knees, Donatello gripped his bo in both of his trembling hands. _Gone_, he realized. _Gone. Gone. Four people. Four people I love. Gone. _His sadness quickly manifesting itself into anger, Donatello jumped to his feet. _Passive. That's all you are. You didn't move. You didn't attempt a rescue. You're selfish. You spend all your time with your stupid machines, and now your family has been diminished to one brother._

Looking up, he saw the large and intimidating shadow of what could be none other than Kojima approaching him from the darkness. _But not anymore_, he thought more towards the advancing figure._ Leo fought you once to protect me and the others. He let you live. _I won't._ For Leo's honor, I won't. _

_But first, that murderous little bunny is going down._


	9. Chapter 9

"This must be it."

Carrying the still-weak Tomoe Ame, Usagi stopped just before a set of large iron double doors braced by menacing patterns of brass. Leonardo stepped resolutely besides him. "Then let's go." His hand reached out for the door, but was suddenly grabbed by Tomoe.

"Leonardo-san," she said desperately. "Please, do not rush in without a sound plan. If Sorceress Akumu has been focused upon you enough to be able to reach you from your world, you cannot begin to imagine what she may be able to do if the two of you are in the same room."

"Tomoe Ame is right," Usagi threw in. "If she is strong enough to create an exact duplicate of Tomoe Ame just to have me pass along a parcel, then who knows what she is capable-"

"So what would you have me do?" Leonardo asked, hardly casting the pair a glance. "Would you rather have me waste precious time sitting up here and try to think up a way to climb in through an auxiliary entrance that may or may not be there? Would you rather I hide in a corner until I see my brother's walking corpse shambling out the door? Would you-"

His tirade was cut off when the double doors suddenly creaked. Looking at them with surprise, the group simultaneously stepped backwards as the doors opened towards them, revealing the dark room inside. "So much for the surprise approach," Raphael muttered. Before anyone could stop him, he lunged into the room, sais in hand.

Screeching to a halt, Raphael looked around him. It appeared as though he had suddenly stepped into a black hole. He heard footsteps behind him, but they sounded as though they were far off. _Impossible_, he thought. _I didn't take more than five steps into the room._

"Raph?" A hand fell on his shoulder, causing Raphael to jump. Whirling around, he saw Michelangelo back away defensively. "Easy there, bro. Man, this is creepy." Not letting his guard down, Raphael watched as Michelangelo observed the void of the room. He had heard enough talk about illusions and the like to know that he needed to be wary. Just because the bonehead in front of him _looked_ like Michelangelo didn't mean it was actually Michelangelo.

Raphael somehow managed to relax when he saw Leonardo, Usagi, and Tomoe emerge from the emptiness behind Michelangelo. "It is almost as though we have stepped into Oblivion itself," Usagi observed.

"Guys?"

The group quickly turned to the sound of the voice. Finding himself in front of the line, Raphael remained in attack mode even when the alarm came over him. "Casey? April? What the shell?"

Standing side-by-side a few feet in front of them were Casey Jones and April. They seemed lost and bewildered. Rubbing his head in confusion, Michelangelo remarked, "Something's not right here." He was about to step towards the pair when Raphael held him back.

"Don't even try it," he told Michelangelo. With a growl, Raphael ignored the warnings of his brothers and friends and sped towards Casey. He could see shock take over the man's face even as he held out his arms and attempted to keep Raphael back.

"Whoa, whoa," Casey exclaimed. "What's goin' on here, Raph?" His blue eyes suddenly bulged as his entire body clenched up. In shock, April called out his name, aghast.

"Nice try, you nightmare nutcase," Raphael remarked, backing away as April worriedly went to Casey's side. "But the last time I kneed Casey Jones in the groin, April couldn't stop laughin'. You're overestimatin' her nurturin' nature."

April looked up at him, and Raphael saw that the image of Casey seemed to begin to merge with hers. Backing away even more until he bumped into Michelangelo, Raphael nevertheless readied himself for battle when April's eyes turned bright red. When four large spider legs burst out of either side of her and Casey, however, Raphael grimaced and looked away. "Bugs," he mumbled. "Of course."

"How quick of you," the mound of flesh that once depicted the images of Raphael's two closest friends hissed out. "You would not even dare give me the chance to take root… not even at the risk of being wrong and injuring your actual friends."

"Injury?" Michelangelo cracked. "Ha! That's how he and Casey say 'hello' to one another." As Michelangelo spoke, a mist rose and was joined by a faintly queasy sound. It was clear that the hellish creature was changing its form under the cover of the fog. Regardless, Leonardo unsheathed his katanas and walked straight towards it.

The haze finally cleared, revealing a large gray spider as Akumu's true form. Even through her inherently evil face, Leonardo could see that she was surprised that he had dared to step so close to her as she was shape shifting. "We didn't come here to play games," he told her levelly. "All I want is my brother. Tell me where he is, or I'll have to bleed that information out of you."

A rustling, chilling sound came from the spider being, and Leonardo soon discovered that this was her idea of laughter. "Ah, the great and powerful _kame_ Leonardo. At long last we meet face to face. As for the whereabouts of your brother, you can find young Donatello-san right over there." At this, she lifted one of her front legs, pointing behind Leonardo. "And I trust you will find that he has some business with you."

Leonardo did not appreciate the coy sound of Akumu's voice, nor did he trust her enough to look away from her. Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, he was glad to see Raphael and Michelangelo step in besides him, ready to defend him should she make a move while his back was turned.

Slowly, Leonardo turned to follow the direction of the point. There, an incalculable distance away in the inky blackness, he could see Donatello sitting on the ground, looking towards him dispassionately. The gaze chilled him, and he almost felt a wave of nausea coming over him when he saw that Donatello appeared battered and looked as though his bones were protruding from his flesh, as his night terrors had prophesized. Turning fully towards his brother, he soon saw that the white substance wasn't his bones; instead, he seemed to be draped with something white and ghostly. Breathing hard, he realized that Donatello had a light adornment of spider webs spread across his broad shoulders.

Without a word, Leonardo ran off in Donatello's direction. He hardly managed to avoid a flying kick from another _neko_ ninja. Looking about, he saw that there were scores of ninjas crouched in the darkness, preparing to pounce. He was about to get rid of the one who had moved towards him when one of Michelangelo's nunchucks did the job for him. "Go get Donnie," Michelangelo called to him. "We'll deal with the welcome wagon." Though something about this bothered Leonardo, he didn't voice any concerns as he continued on his way to his captive brother.

Struggling against Usagi's arms, Tomoe attempted to stand on her own two feet. "Usagi, put me down. We need to fight." Quickly dodging two ninjas who came at him at the same time, Usagi disagreed. "You are in no condition for such a battle," he told her. "I will do what I can to find someplace to hide you in safety, and will protect you in the mean time." Though she continued to resist, Usagi did not stray from this goal.

As Michelangelo dealt with the _neko_ ninjas, Raphael set his sights on the endgame. With a glare at Akumu, Raphael grit his teeth and dove for her. He only just managed to stop himself and use his sais to defend himself against a gauzy substance suddenly spewing from the wretched spider. "It would be wise to watch your step," Akumu hissed as she backed away and Raphael sliced through the webbing. "When someone else is doing the weaving, you can never tell what the picture holds."

Annoyed by what he viewed as a cowardly retreat, Raphael plunged blindly ahead. "Ya wanna talk metaphors, lady? I'll give ya a metaphor." As he became aware that the ninjas had used a number of smoke screens, Raphael silently hoped that the smoke and cobwebs wouldn't disorient him. "Metaphorically speakin', I'm comin' _this_ close to rammin' my sais right up your-"

He stopped in his tracks. The smoke suddenly cleared, and the residual webbing was gone from his weapons. Instead, he found himself in a familiar room, staring at a familiar creature. "You are too violent, my son," Splinter's hushed voice told him. "When approaching an enemy, it is best to remain as silent as possible and decide beforehand what your best routes of defense are."

Raphael could do little else but gawk at the figure in front of him, blinking. _Splinter_, a small voice inside his head called out. _It's Master Splinter. _This was the same voice that always attempted to convince Raphael to grieve. He usually drowned it out by lifting weights until he was too sore to realize that he had anything to grieve over.

That was when the reality seeped in. He _did_ have something to mourn. And that something was Splinter. Splinter was dead, and had been for months. Splinter was caught in an explosion that burnt his body beyond recognition. Splinter was _not_ standing right in front of him.

"Get outta here," he told the figure in the heart-wrenching guise. "Get outta here right now. Right this second." He didn't know if the words were meant for the artificial sensei or for himself, but that didn't matter to him. As much as he willed his mind to believe the truth, to believe that everything he was seeing and smelling and hearing was all simulated, his senses just wouldn't buy it. He knew that everything was fake… just as much as he knew everything was real.

"Raphael," the imitation-Splinter reprimanded. "Control yourself! What is causing this display of anger?" Raphael hadn't even realized that, in his frustration, he had fallen to his knees, snarling behind clenched teeth. _This can't be happening. Not happening. I don't know how she did it, but she did._ With a sense of dismay, Raphael became aware of the fact that he couldn't even grasp who "she" was.

"Raph, what's your problem?" Raphael looked up and saw that Leonardo had entered the room, glaring down at him disapprovingly. "Sensei asked you a question. What on earth are you doing rolling around on the floor?"

Before Raphael could respond, Splinter interceded. "Please, Leonardo, do not bear down on him. It is plain to see that your brother is deeply tormented by some inner turmoil. While he is on the ground, I propose he spend his time meditating on what ails him until he is ready to speak of it."

Yes, maybe that _was_ what Raphael needed. Even as Leonardo looked down on him skeptically before leaving the room, Raphael took long, deep breaths as he lowered himself into a sitting position. Splinter seemed pleased that he wasn't going to argue about it or make any snide remarks. Why should he? Deep down inside, Raphael had always known that Splinter's advice was backed with years of wisdom and experience. All Raphael needed to do to solve that aching throb in the back of his head was sit back, close his eyes, clear his mind, and-

"You'd _better_ give me a good Christmas present after this stunt, bro!" Raphael's eyes flew open as the high-pitched voice of his brother suddenly invaded the quiet of the room. Splinter was glaring behind him, and Raphael was about to gather his weapons to defend his teacher when he noticed something disturbing about the rat. Something about him seemed… ethereal. Otherworldly. And the fact that his eyes were glowing red didn't help matters, either.

A hand flailed on his shoulder, but try as he might, Raphael couldn't will himself to look back. No, it wasn't that he couldn't will himself. Something _else_ was controlling his will. Never more desperate for Michelangelo to actually pull through, Raphael did all he could to free himself of whatever had him frozen in place.

Ultimately, Raphael didn't realize that he was a victim of his own mind until something seemed to be jerked away from his body. With a gasp, Raphael blinked several times, wondering momentarily if he had gone blind. Soon, his memories returned. He was not in their old lair. He was not meditating with Splinter. He was sitting in the dark chambers of an evil spider sorceress who had been tormenting his brother ever since their father died.

With a cry of both rage and anguish, Raphael jumped to his feet. Turning, he saw Michelangelo with a tight grip on his arm. His free hand had grabbed hold of one of Raphael's dropped sais and he apparently had used it to cut him free of the spider webs. Evidently, it was those webs that gave Akumu such control over a person's sense of reality.

Raphael remembered seeing Donatello draped in such webbing and looked behind them. Whatever wasn't as black as night was screened with mist, making it impossible to see anyone who wasn't standing as close as Michelangelo currently was. He could only hope that Leonardo would make the connection on his own and successfully free Donatello. In only that single minute in which he was bound, Raphael had thought that he would go insane.

As he remembered his tumultuous emotions when he gazed upon Splinter, Raphael couldn't help but shudder. Looking at Michelangelo, he raised his arm in a half-embrace. "Thanks, Mikey. I owe ya one."

Michelangelo was about to reply when Raphael's world went black.

"Whoa!" Michelangelo hardly managed to scream before ducking and rolling out of the way of a cascade of webbing. At a somewhat-safe distance, he glanced up and saw with horror what had happened. Akumu had come up behind Raphael and apparently injected her stinger in the back of his leg, while simultaneously attempting to ensnare Michelangelo in her web. As she withdrew her stinger, Raphael slumped to the floor, unconscious. "Raph!"

"How touching," she hissed as she edged away from the comatose turtle. "If he had only known what his fate would be otherwise, he would have begged for the comfort of illusion. But _you_ know better, do you not, Michelangelo? You were always anxious to lose yourself in fiction, knowing it to be more worthy than the scourge of reality."

Tucking the sai into his belt, Michelangelo said nothing as he withdrew his nunchucks. Though he felt an unspeakable rage welling up inside of him as he desperately eyed Raphael, he couldn't bring himself to speak. He waited to see what Akumu would do, first. If he made a stupid move and got caught in her web or stabbed by her stinger, then Raphael was done for. He couldn't be sure whether or not Raphael was currently breathing, but he wasn't going to do anything that would-

With amazing speed, the spider was suddenly upon Michelangelo, knocking him to the ground. His weapons flew from his hands as he tried to push the creature away and stop her from bearing down on him. Gazing upwards, he could see the gnashing yellow fangs in her wide mouth and smell the repulsive stench of her breath. Some memory of a horror movie came back to him, reminding him of a monster that feasted on human souls.

Michelangelo knew that his strongpoint was his speed and agility, but there was no way that he could utilize those abilities with a gargantuan spider on top of him, waiting to do who-knows-what to him. Knowing that nothing would keep Leonardo from keeping Donatello safe, Michelangelo urgently yelled, "Usagi! Somebody, help!"

As though in response to his outcry, Akumu released a long, menacing laugh.


	10. Chapter 10

Leonardo's sole thought was getting Donatello out of there.

"Donnie," he called as he approached. "Donnie, are you okay? Donnie?" He tried not to let the panic overtake him. Donatello was surely alive, as his shallow breathing made his chest rise and fall sharply. Yet the hard, unwavering gaze made Leonardo feel almost as though this wasn't even his brother.

Leonardo stopped when Donatello suddenly jumped up to his feet, resolutely clenching his bo staff in his hands. He seemed to be deep in thought, somehow causing Leonardo to be cautious of making any sudden moves. Without warning, Donatello's stare shifted to somewhere behind Leonardo, and he moved to walk determinedly in this direction.

When they were about to cross paths, Leonardo stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Donnie, can you hear me?" Though Donatello looked at him angrily, it didn't seem as though anything was registering in his mind. "Donnie, what's going on? Just-"

"You ruined my family," Donatello suddenly spoke lowly. The words threw Leonardo into astonishment. "You killed my father and one of my brothers. I won't let you finish off the rest of us."

Leonardo stepped backwards, trying not to stammer in his confusion. _So… so he _does_ blame me for Splinter's death. He always has. _No, he tried to reason with himself. This was some sort of trick. _He just said that I killed one of his brothers. I… I…._

With a sudden realization, Leonardo whirled around. In the darkness, he could make out Akumu's gray outline in the distance… and a dimmer, smaller figure lying motionless some feet away from her. Could it be? Michelangelo? Raphael? Was one of them dead? Did Leonardo really bring his brothers to a place where they would be separated and killed off, one by one?

Before the guilt could completely wash over him, Leonardo felt a sudden blow to his throat, knocking him backwards and momentarily gagging him. His hand rising to his throat, he managed to duck just in time to avoid another strike from Donatello's bo. _It wasn't my fault_, he tried to say, but the words wouldn't come. It was all he could do to constantly dodge Donatello's fiery attacks. Somehow, Donatello's fighting had become more aggressive, more violent; it seemed as though he now fought with the intent to kill. _Does he hate me? Can this… can this really be my brother?_

All of a sudden, Michelangelo's voice rose up in the distance. "Usagi! Somebody, help!" Donatello's fierce assault ended, and he quickly straightened himself and looked in the direction of the voice. In a soft murmur, he whispered the samurai's name. Leonardo wondered for a brief moment if Donatello was slowly coming back to his senses, until the turtle bolted off.

Hoping that Donatello meant to save Michelangelo and thus was back to his old self, Leonardo followed after him. He was disappointed when Donatello suddenly turned and swiped his bo at his feet, causing Leonardo to trip. He tried to look up at him when a sudden blinding pain hit the side of his face, causing his whole world to turn white. As Leonardo tasted blood in the back of his throat and struggled with consciousness, Donatello turned back towards Michelangelo's direction.

Donatello knew that he couldn't waste time with Kojima. Usagi was still on the loose, and Usagi was after his one remaining brother. He didn't care _how_ skilled the rabbit was; Donatello was determined to make him pay for taking Leonardo away. If he hadn't been so shocked by his first brother's death, he would have made a move to protect Splinter from Kojima's bomb, and he could have either kept Raphael and April from doing it themselves… or he would have been at peace. But as it stood right now, there would never be peace, not until Michelangelo was safe from Usagi's blood-drenched swords.

Upon hearing Michelangelo's call, Usagi quickly put Tomoe Ame on the ground and hoped for the best as he sped after his friend. He had never heard one of the brothers cry for help in such an agonized tone, and it did not sit well with him. Unsheathing his katanas, Usagi saw that Akumu was atop of Michelangelo, explaining the turtle's pleading yell.

It didn't take Donatello long to see that Michelangelo was somehow knocked onto the floor, unable to get up. Just a few yards away, the evil mercenary rabbit was charging towards him, his katanas in hand. Doubling his speed, Donatello let out an unintelligible cry as he moved to stop the bloodshed.

Usagi saw Donatello coming to Michelangelo's aid and was relieved. He had been afraid that the turtle had been caught under the sorceress' spell, but this fear quickly dissipated when he saw the resolve in his eyes. His sights still set on Akumu and the squirming turtle beneath her, Usagi leapt in the air, bringing his sword down.

The wind was knocked out of him as he was unexpectedly intercepted midair. Surprised that there had been one _neko_ ninja so cleverly concealed that he could not detect its presence, Usagi grabbed hold of the ninja's shoulder as he hit the ground, ready to strike with his sword. His eyes only widened in surprise when he saw who it was that had kept him from coming to Michelangelo's rescue. "Donatello-san?"

It was all he could say before Donatello's bo-staff pressed down upon Usagi's neck, choking off his air supply. "Surprised, Miyamoto Usagi?" Donatello's voice was low and gruff, sounding more like Raphael's than his own. "You weren't expecting the _passive_ one to cause you any trouble, were you? Is that why you got rid of Leo first? Or was it just convenient?"

Perplexed and shaken, Usagi dropped his weapons so he would not unintentionally hurt Donatello and attempted to push up on the bo staff, lessening the strain on his windpipe. His efforts were met with a considerable amount of strength from the normally-reserved turtle. As much as he writhed beneath the expanse of Donatello's body, Usagi could not free himself. It didn't take him long to realize what must have happened, but he could not gather the oxygen to speak and attempt to bring Donatello out of the dreamscape.

Leonardo managed to slowly pull himself up, but stopped when he saw that Donatello was now attacking Usagi. The rabbit appeared to be pinned down under him, but Leonardo also noted that Akumu herself was atop of Michelangelo. Leonardo knew that Michelangelo's raw strength wasn't his forte, but he also knew that Usagi probably would not be able to bring himself to harm Donatello.

Processing all of this quickly, Leonardo shook his head and turned away from Usagi with a heavy heart. This was a matter of family, and Leonardo's family needed him. He consoled himself with believing that Usagi's will to live was strong enough to force him to fight back if Donatello became too much to handle non-violently. Charging for Akumu, he hoped he made the right choice.

Just before one of his blades would pierce her horrendous face, the spider appeared to make an impossible back flip off of Michelangelo. Stumbling slightly but making it seem as though he was kneeling besides Michelangelo, Leonardo put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You okay, Mikey?" Thoroughly exhausted from keeping Akumu from biting into him, it was all Michelangelo could do to nod slowly.

Leaping to his feet, Leonardo noticed a sudden fog coming over the room. Keeping his eyes open for more _neko_ ninjas, he asked, "What's wrong, Akumu? Are you just going to hide behind your ninja every time we band together?" The words hardly left his mouth when he heard a strange, wet, shifting sound. He had heard it before. Just before Akumu changed into her true form.

"Hardly, _kame_," came the reply from somewhere in the mist. "Is _this_ what you would call 'banding together'? One of your brothers has my venom flowing through his weakening veins; another is hardly able to stand. You have _failed_ them, _kame_, just as you failed your own master."

Her words cut him like a knife. How _dare_ she? How dare she voice his fears in such a mocking tone? Careful to keep his anger from driving him, Leonardo raced towards the new shape, ready to destroy it and break Akumu's hold on Donatello.

He lashed out with his katana, but it was parried by something unseen. Remaining motionless as the figure slowly came into view, Leonardo suddenly found it difficult to breathe. The weapon that had kept his at bay hardly looked like a weapon, but he knew from many past experiences that the comparatively small walking stick could prove lethal. Drawing back, his stomach knotted as he saw the new arrival.

Splinter. Splinter as he last saw him. That final night, when one of Agent Bishop's experiments went dangerously wrong. A miscalculation that would result in New York City becoming a nuclear wasteland. Donatello had managed to keep the explosion contained by carrying all of the canisters containing radioactive material out in a bag. Still, Bishop was determined not to let them win. If the building was going to collapse, it would collapse with all but that one turtle inside of it.

Moving backwards, Leonardo attempted to stay in the present. He couldn't focus on the past, on the deadly battle, on the countless small things he could have done differently that would have ensured Splinter's survival. No, he needed to stay in the now. He needed to-

"My son," whispered the rat.

Despite his preparation, despite his determination, Leonardo's lack of sleep and nightly agitation weighed upon him. He backed away, and 'Splinter' countered every movement. As he did, Leonardo realized something with growing horror. With every step he took, the rat's fur singed and curled, ultimately dripping off. Taking a gasping, open-mouthed breath, 'Splinter' revealed a mouthful of jagged teeth stained with blood and decay. Yet, Leonardo dared not to cringe. "Please," he choked out. "Go away. Just let me sleep. For one night, just let me sleep."

That's when Leonardo became convinced that he was dreaming.


	11. Chapter 11

"Usagi!"

His eyesight blurring, Usagi somehow managed to look up. _No_, he cried to himself. _Tomoe Ame… stay back. This is not your fight._ Despite his urgent mental pleas, he could see Tomoe creep into view, appalled by the image before her.

Donatello also looked up. "So, you've brought another accomplice, have you?" With a finishing violent push on his bo that caused Usagi to finally black out, Donatello rose up to his knees. "And if it isn't our old pal Gennosuke. Come to finish me off, Gen?"

Tomoe could do little else but gawk at the turtle, wondering if he were mad. Seeing him stand and jump for her, she decided that madness had nothing to do with it. He was having a waking nightmare in which Usagi was the enemy. And, she realized as she ducked beneath him and lunged for Usagi's dropped katanas, he had given her Gennosuke's identity to compensate for the fact that Donatello did not know her.

Somehow, the large rhino managed to dodge Donatello's attack and headed for his dead ally's discarded weapons. Was Usagi dead? If he was, then it would have been the first life Donatello had taken. Something about that exhilarated him, and he would see to it that the gluttonous Gennosuke would help sate his thrilling and terrifying new thirst for revenge.

"Donatello-san, listen to me," Tomoe tried to reason. She parried his attack with Usagi's katanas and pushed the turtle away, rising to her feet. "I am not Gennosuke. My name is Tomoe Ame, and I am a friend of your brother Leonardo."

Donatello saw Gennosuke open his mouth to speak. "Hear me, you foolish _reptile_," the deep voice boomed out. "You've made a mistake to tangle with the likes of Miyamoto Usagi, Kojima, and the great and powerful _Gennosuke_."

Tomoe became downhearted when Donatello replied, "Save it, Gen. You might as well put the swords down and lie down, because I'm through with words." Donatello struck again, and Tomoe found that it took all of her limited energy simply to guard herself against the turtle's blows. _I cannot hurt him_, she told herself. _Usagi had vowed to Leonardo-san that he would protect him, and if Usagi is no more, it is now my duty to carry out his promise._

The thought of Usagi's possible demise momentarily distracted Tomoe, making her look down at Usagi's motionless body as she dreaded the worse. This brief diversion earned her a solid hit in the stomach, forcing her to double over. Unable to voice a plea or to even move, Tomoe waited for the next blow. The staff struck her back, knocking her to the floor. Combined with the conditions of her recent imprisonment, this was all Tomoe could take. Hoping that this was not the end and that she had not failed Usagi and Leonardo, she swiftly lost consciousness.

Looking down at what he saw as two mercenaries, Donatello felt a hollow sense of victory. They were both indeed still breathing, but he couldn't bring himself to put them out of their miseries while they lay helpless. Despite it all, he knew that it would be dishonorable. If Splinter had taught him anything, it was-

_Splinter!_ The voice inside his head seemed foreign, unusual, yet insistent. _Master Splinter! Gone! Just like April and Raph. And who did that?_ "Kojima," he answered himself quietly.

Looking up, he saw that Kojima had recovered from the blow Donatello had administered before and was now slowly walking through the lair. The only person alive other than the two of them was now Michelangelo. Donatello was willing to bet that Michelangelo had hidden in fear and Kojima was now searching for him.

Carefully approaching the unmoving Gennosuke, Donatello stooped down and grabbed hold of Usagi's katanas. These were the same swords that the treacherous rabbit had used to dispense of his first family member, and it was fitting that they would also be the ones he would use to get rid of the final assassin. With a snarl, Donatello ran for Kojima, focused on his demise.

"Donnie! Whoa, Donnie, calm down!" Donatello abruptly stopped when Michelangelo appeared out of nowhere, waving his hands in front of his brother. "That's it, Donnie. Just take it easy."

"Mikey, lower your voice," Donatello whispered. "Get out of here and go stay with Casey. _I'll_ deal with Kojima." Michelangelo blinked at him, bewildered, before turning around and looking towards the giant warthog.

"Don," Mikey said, turning back to him. "I don't know how to break this to you, but the other green guy with the swords is Leo, _not_ Kojima." He was only the more confused when Donatello pushed him away angrily.

"Don't play games with me, Mikey," Donatello told him in a choked voice. "Leo's gone. _Everyone's_ gone. For some reason, we're the only two left alive, and I'm not going to let either of us go down. Now get out of here. This is going to be dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."

As Donatello stormed past him, Michelangelo followed after, flabbergasted. "Hey, what's the deal here, bro? Since when did you and Leo switch places? _He's_ the one who's usually crying that he lost _you_ in his-" _In his nightmares_, Michelangelo suddenly realized. That was when he took a good look at his brother. Though Donatello still recognized him for who he was, Michelangelo had the distinct feeling that he had no idea of where he was, what was currently going on… or what he might unintentionally do to Leonardo with those blades.

His hand dropped down to his belt, feeling the hilt of an unfamiliar weapon. Remembering about Raphael's sai that he had picked up, Michelangelo was struck with an idea. Running towards his brother, he called, "Donnie!"

Seeming annoyed, Donatello stopped and spun around once more. He took a step back in shock when he saw his brother charging after him with the new weapon. He raised his hands to defend himself, but to no avail. Michelangelo grabbed hold of Donatello's arms and pushed them downwards, slashing with the sai.

Michelangelo took a step back, watching Donatello cringe and wait for pain. The white wisps of webbing gently floated from around his shoulders, landing silently on the ground. When Donatello opened his eyes and looked about himself perplexedly, Michelangelo knew that he had done it. By tearing away the webs, he had freed his brother. "Mikey?" Donatello's voice regained its low, gentle quality. Grateful, Michelangelo hoped that Donatello was up to the idea of guarding Raphael, Usagi, and Tomoe Ame while he went to help Leonardo against Akumu.

His hopes were dashed when Donatello went on. "Mikey, don't ever do that again. I know that you're probably experiencing shock and hostile emotions after all the deaths today, but nothing you try to do is going to keep me from doing what I have to do to protect our family's honor." With a sudden swipe of his arm, Donatello pushed Michelangelo to the ground and went back to his mission of destroying a brother that he already believed to be dead.

Leonardo continued on his retreat from the deteriorating version of his beloved master. Horrid images of that final night came flooding back, suffocating him. The long, hard fight against Bishop's androids, the intense heat as the explosives in the room began to destabilize. The only one of them that was safe was Donatello, since he _had_ to leave, he _had_ to get the radioactive components out of there. Leonardo had finally decided that they needed to retreat. Raphael and Michelangelo made it to the escape route first. Leonardo turned to help Splinter, but he was being attacked by one last android, one that Leonardo had not done away with because he thought it posed no danger. He would have gone back, he would have perished with his master as a noble warrior would have… but Splinter forbade it. It had been his last command of Leonardo, and the turtle would have been dishonored in his death had he went against it.

A putrid smell of decomposition now filled Leonardo's nose, causing him to look away. Two shadows shimmered before his line of sight, and Leonardo suddenly knew what they symbolized. Yes, they _were_ Raphael and Michelangelo. But this was no prophesy of a coming demise. These were the images of the two brothers that he had needed to protect, that he needed to get out of the building, as per Splinter's wishes. And Leonardo suddenly realized why it was Donatello whom appeared as a corpse to him every night. Donatello needed his help, needed his protection… but the only ones he focused on that night were Raphael and Michelangelo. Such an asinine reason to feel guilt, given the circumstances… but the small seed of shame grew into overpowering proportions in the disoriented landscape of his nightmares.

Did Donatello harbor resentment towards him? Had Leonardo been favoring their distempered and childish brothers all along, and trusting that Donatello was reasonable enough to deal with life on his own? Who had he mourned with after the building collapsed? Had he even given a thought to whether or not Donatello had managed to escape? Donatello _had_ been subject to the most danger, given his hazardous cargo, and yet… yet….

"No," he breathed. "Wake up. Come on, Leo, wake up." As always, he willed himself to sidestep the still-approaching figure of his deceased master. And for the first time… his body obeyed.

Surprised, Leonardo found that he could move in this nightmare. His will was his own. He saw that his swords were in his hands, and he swung them experimentally. He heard a chilling rustling sound and looked up. Something was laughing… and it was this mockery of his Splinter.

No longer terrified of the being, Leonardo quickly grew angry at it. He saw it and all other aspects of this fantasy for what they were: elements of a plot to disarm him and to drive him and his brothers mad. "There's no waking up," he murmured, echoing Donatello's words to him from his night terrors, "when you're in for an eternal sleep."

"And do you intend to put me to sleep, _failure_?" The voice that came from the rat was the all-too familiar voice of Akumu, and Leonardo silently vowed that those would be among her last words. With a yell, Leonardo lunged for the monster that took his father's form. His swords went through nothing more than smoke.

The crackling laughter rose up once more as the Splinter imposter solidified again besides where Leonardo's sword had fallen. With a horizontal strike from the katana, the figure dispersed into wisps of fog.

The ground seemed to tremble, and upon looking downwards Leonardo saw that he was standing on moist earth. Knowing what was coming, he backed away just as three brown skeletal arms shot out of the ground, reaching for him. Though he knew what would happen when he attempted an attack, he lowered his sword on them nonetheless. Curls of mist rose from where the arms had been.

He suddenly heard a familiar voice rise up, calling to him urgently. It almost sounded like Michelangelo, but when he turned around, Leonardo saw the final component of his nightmare. He had been waiting for it, and he would get rid of it once and for all. Running towards him was the ghastly apparition of Donatello.

Resolved to be rid of these night terrors and battle Akumu face-to-face, Leonardo ran after the false image of his brother. He swung one katana, and was surprised that it was parried with another. Leonardo's first thought was that the idea of Donatello wielding a pair of blades was what struck him as strange. He realized too late that it wasn't the weapons that should have bothered him, but the fact that this being was solid. He struck with his second sword in the other turtle's abdomen… and froze when he realized that his movement was mirrored.

Donatello halted as Kojima's claws hit him. The pain was blinding, or so he thought. In reality, they helped him to see. As the sharp edge remained imbedded under his flesh, the image of the destroyed lair in front of him seemed to melt away into blackness. As it did, the figure in front of him seemed to drip away, revealing someone else. "L-…Leo?"

Leonardo blinked. The figure on the other end of his sword suddenly lost his injuries, his grotesqueness, his maliciousness. The scared, unimposing being in front of him was simply his brother. And before he even felt the pain of the wound he received, Leonardo realized that he had just struck Donatello a dangerous blow. "Donnie," he gasped.

From his petrified position on the ground, Michelangelo stared at the grisly sight in front of him. His two brothers, under the influence of powerful curses, have just struck one another down. They were gaping at each other, immobile. Finally, Donatello's hand fell from the sword he had injected into Leonardo's torso, and the grief-stricken turtle fell backwards, wrenching Leonardo's katana from his hand. As Leonardo fell to his knees and gawked at the too-real image of his still brother, Michelangelo couldn't bear to look on.

Looking up, Michelangelo saw the evil Akumu watching the entire ordeal and laughing to herself. Exchanging his sorrow for fury, Michelangelo pushed himself up to his feet and silently rushed at her. _Laugh it up, you witch_, he thought as he saw that Akumu hadn't even noticed his advancement. _That's the last prank you're ever gonna pull_.

Before Akumu realized what was happening, her two front right legs had been entangled in one of Michelangelo's hurled nunchucks. "What?" Her hiss became all the more enraged, for here was some trivial fool who was attempting to rob her of her enjoyment. She raised the two legs in an attempt to shake the chains off, but doing this only revealed her sensitive underside, giving Michelangelo a clear shot with his remaining nunchuck. She cried out in pain and rage, falling to her left side.

Michelangelo swiftly untangled the thrown nunchuck from Akumu's legs, leaping up to stand on her stomach. From there, he could see the deadly stinger that protruded from behind him and quickly jumped towards it, just missing a gush of webs that meant to ensnare him. Not wanting to suffer Raphael's fate, he wrapped one of his nunchucks against the giant stinger and pulled with all of his strength. He heard a chilling crack as it snapped off, causing another shrill cry from the spider. A thick black fluid oozed out of the lesion, bubbling and smoking. Michelangelo shivered as he wondered whether this was her blood or her venom, and he hoped—for Raphael's sake—that it wasn't both.

The substance seemed to creep up the chains of his nunchuck, forcing Michelangelo to discard it. It was just as well; Akumu was writhing in pain and he would soon be bucked off her abdomen. Jumping down onto the ground, Michelangelo prepared himself for what he knew to be the final round.

Somehow Akumu managed to roll back into a standing position, but Michelangelo noticed that her rear legs buckled and she remained grounded on her back end. "You pretentious little fool," she screeched at him. She seemed to shake, and Michelangelo backed away as he awaited whatever new surprise Akumu had hidden.

He resisted the urge to shield his eyes as a blinding silver light suddenly emanated from her body, like bolts of lightning streaking across the darkness. Ignoring the exhausted soreness in his bones, Michelangelo leapt to the ground in front of him, flipped off to his left, and somersaulted to Akumu's side. Every bolt missed him by a mere nanosecond, only aiding in the enemy's frustration.

Aggravated, Akumu dove for Michelangelo, but she was much too slow with the open wound where her stinger used to be. He easily dodged her attack and swung with his nunchuck. Unfortunately, her front legs were just as quick as ever. She caught hold of the weapon and jerked it away from him, flinging it an unknowable distance away in the black room that seemed to expand forever.

She bore down on him with her leg, but he surprised her. One last weapon reached out and slashed at the leg, discharging more of that disgusting internal fluid. As she screamed in pain, Michelangelo was grateful that he had kept Raphael's sai on him.

He ran for Akumu just as she managed to shake away her ache and glare at him. With a jump, Michelangelo rammed the pointed edge of his weapon straight into one side of her ugly bright red eyes.

He wasn't expecting her to bat him away with her good front arm. The impact came to his stomach, knocking him away and making him lose his grip on his weapon. Rolling on the ground, Michelangelo slowly came to a stop and peered up at Akumu. Her rage was terrifying, and she shook her head until she managed to dislodge the sai from her eyes. It too disappeared into the oblivion of the room.

Michelangelo made it up on all fours, shaking away any sense of hurt. Akumu was now mostly blinded, which might just make her more dangerous. This meant that she would now strike anywhere that she imagined a threat, which could take out everyone in the room in only a matter of minutes, if even that long. He didn't have any weapons, but he would have to do his best to make do with what he had.

"Here." Michelangelo turned at the unexpected voice. He had landed by Raphael and felt a sense of overwhelming joy when he saw that it was he who had spoken to him. Crawling over to him, Michelangelo called his name with a smile on his face. The smile disappeared when he saw that Raphael was holding out his remaining sai. "Take this," Raphael muttered, "and show Spiderwoman over there what happens when she messes with the turtles."

His elation over Raphael's well-being quickly disappeared as he remembered the grim task that lay ahead and the events that led to it. Michelangelo was no leader, nor was he the smartest or strongest. But as it stood, the leader and the smart one were most likely gone, and the strongest one was incapacitated. This was it. Either he and Raphael would make it out of there and carry Usagi and Tomoe with them, or all of them would perish. And it all depended on him.

Responsibility. Honor. Life. These were all a part of his own nightmares that he had kept silent about it. Being forced to fight for all of these things… and failing. Failing miserably… and having his brothers pay the consequences for his mistakes.

Regardless of his fear, Michelangelo took the sai from Raphael, holding his hand firmly. "I'm not gonna let you down, bro," he promised. As he stood and turned back to Akumu, he didn't see the look of awe that came over Raphael's face. Lying there with a numb leg and a heavy sense of illness overwhelming him, Raphael realized that his little brother was growing up.

Michelangelo stopped only a few paces away from Akumu, staring her down. She was still thrashing her head, that horrible bubbling liquid dripping from her punctured eyes. She stopped suddenly, as though sensing his gaze. Cracking his knuckles as he clenched the remaining sai tightly, Michelangelo thought, _Cue the fight music. _

He jumped for her, but she apparently was able to either see him or feel his movement. One of her front legs shot out and caught him on the shoulder. It was the one he had cut earlier, and he felt a burning sensation on his flesh where her vile blood touched him. It also felt as though she scratched him pretty badly.

That didn't matter. He landed on his feet and grabbed hold of her leg, using the sai to hack through it. She continued to scream in her pain and wrath, but Michelangelo paid her no mind. If her legs were going to keep flailing at him, he was simply going to have to do something about them.

Raphael watched from the ground as his brother worked on Akumu. Try as he might, it was all he could do to raise himself on his elbows. If Michelangelo ended up needing him at any point, this was going to turn into a sticky situation. _I'm not gonna let you down, bro._ The words sounded suspiciously as though there was a deeper mission behind them.

Raphael then realized that everyone else was missing. How had that happened? He distinctly remembered walking into the room with Michelangelo, Leonardo, Usagi, and Tomoe Ame, and he recalled seeing Donatello in the area as well. Why weren't any of them helping Michelangelo? Why was he fighting… alone?

_No_, Raphael tried to convince himself. _No, it ain't true._ Whirling around as quickly as his headache and nausea would allow him, he searched about in the blackness of the room for signs of life. What looked like many _neko_ ninja lay scattered about, either dead or so far away from consciousness that they wouldn't pose a threat in a long time. Beyond them, he caught sight of a white figure breathing shallowly and knew this to be Usagi. He was still alive, at least, but it looked like he was definitely down for the count. A crumpled heap clothed in pink was lying besides the samurai, and Raphael took this for Tomoe. Had Akumu stuck her poison in them as well?

Raphael slowly rolled himself away from the fight between Akumu and Michelangelo, absorbed in the task of finding survivors. It didn't take him long before his eyes came upon a chilling sight. Two dark yet familiar figures were lying motionless, their black outlines all that were visible. Though the position of one of them made it so that he couldn't see anything more than the shape of legs and a shell, the other one was lying on his back, the unmistakable silhouette of a katana jutting out from his middle.

_No._ Which one was it? Leonardo? Donatello? Or was it _both_ of them? _No, no, no. This ain't happenin'. This is just another one 'a them crazy mind games-_

Raphael's ardent appeal to an unknown deity was cut off by the sharp cry of his brother. He managed to look up just in time to see Michelangelo's body sailing over him. "Mikey!" With a wince, Raphael turned away as Michelangelo hit the floor with a resounding thud.

Peering behind him, Raphael saw that it wasn't Michelangelo's fall that made the booming echo, but a continuous outcry from the nearly-crushed spider. Despite the spastic way she shook her head, Akumu couldn't extricate the sai that Michelangelo had sunk into the back of her head. Curls of smoke rose up around her ghastly face in a way that made Raphael smirk in spite of himself. _Nice goin', Mikey_.

Remembering about his brother, Raphael turned and attempted to crawl towards him, dragging his numb leg behind him like a war wound. _Never… gonna get to him… at this rate._ Frustrated by his own injuries and concerned by the fact that he seemed to be the only sentient, non-malevolent creature in the vicinity, Raphael clenched his fist and resisted the urge to yell.

He was surprised to see a light shining from behind him, making the region ahead visible. Raphael could see that the figures ahead of him were indeed Donatello and Leonardo, and it appeared as though neither were breathing. Ignoring the tears shimmering in his eyes, Raphael looked to Michelangelo and saw that he hardly recognized his own brother. Some sort of black substance combined with the ruby blood on his chest, giving him the image of a horror movie monster. But still, he breathed. That would have to be enough for Raphael for now.

Turning, Raphael expected to see the injured Akumu using her last bit of energy to encompass them in some kind of electric ball, bringing everyone down along with her. He soon saw, however, that this light was far too white to have been produced directly from the spider who favored darkness. In the ball of radiance that suddenly shone, Raphael could see Akumu's gray outline still shaking, but now the movement no longer seemed focused upon her anger. Something about it now appeared almost… fearful.

Raphael shielded his eyes as the light became too much for him to bear. He was all the more confused when a new voice entered the room, seeming to stem from everywhere. "_Akumu_," the voice cried out sternly. It was a feminine tone and seemed to be unused to this deafening volume, but this did not stop her from her harsh reprimand. "You have committed horrendous atrocities before, but this is beyond anything that I would expect from you."

A shape suddenly moved in besides Akumu, matching her in size and form. Two other, smaller figures accompanied the new arrival. Raphael could see little else from the spaces between his fingers before the luminosity hurt his eyes. Squeezing them shut and willing his head not to implode with everything he had been through that night, Raphael was forced to rely upon what he heard.

"Your allegiance to Lord Hebi," the voice continued, "whether only for monetary gain or no, is enough to have you tried for crimes against the Shogun. Not only have you kidnapped the retainer of Lord Noriyuki, but you assumed her identity and led one of his warriors astray, all for the sake of endangering those outside the borders of our world. I would rather keep our bloodline's reputation from becoming any more ruined, and so, upon Noriyuki's request, I have decided to take matters into my own hands."

Even through his closed eyes and his hand covering them, Raphael could see the glow grow unbearably bright. Akumu apparently sensed it even more, for her scream was more bloodcurdling than any she had emitted beforehand. Raphael shuddered to wonder what it was that was being done to her, but he soon decided that it could hardly be worse than dying a slow death with a sai crammed into her brain. What was wounded now was her pride.

The light slowly dimmed, but Raphael still could not bring himself to open his eyes. It was only when he felt another presence standing before him that he realized that his ordeal would not be over so easily. With a deep breath, Raphael resolutely opened his eyes. And blinked.

"Gen?"

"Ah, so you breathe, ninja," Usagi's constant companion muttered under his breath. Straightening himself and walking away from him nonchalantly, he added, "Good, good. On with the body count, then."

"You must be of the same clan as Leonardo-san," said a small voice. Raphael gaped up at the young panda bear that bowed to him. "Have no fear. I am Lord Noriyuki, and we shall set things right." He took hold of Raphael's arm, meaning to help him up.

Finding his voice, Raphael pulled his arm out of Noriyuki's grasp, shaking his head. "Nice idea, kid," he told him. "But it won't work. I got bit in the leg or somethin', so I won't be walkin' anytime soon."

"Allow me to help," spoke the voice that had raged at Akumu. Looking at the figure, Raphael stiffened. The creature stopped her advancement, looking about herself. "Yes, there _is_ an unfortunate resemblance," admitted the large white spider. "I apologize. Perhaps a less obtrusive form is in order."

A mist rose in the air, but this was of a lighter color than Akumu's foreboding fog. Raphael looked away, determined not to get caught in yet another delusion. "It is all right," Noriyuki whispered, kneeling besides him. "She will not harm you."

As Noriyuki helped Raphael up into a sitting position, Raphael gazed at the new figure. Though it was clear that she was changing her form, it wasn't accompanied by the odd, nausea-inducing sound as Akumu's shifting. Knowing that he couldn't be surprised by much after waking up to find his one remaining brother in a life-or-death battle against a giant bug, Raphael tried to be as patient as he could, given the circumstances.

When the mist cleared away, a somewhat humanoid creature with chalk-white skin was standing before him. Her long white hair was done up in an ornate fashion, and her pale blue eyes sparkled with a sad sort of kindness. Her light blue kimono was laced with cerulean embroidery and draped over her thin frame in such a way that made her legs, arms, and fingers look impossibly long. "You are called Raphael, I know," she told him quietly, her voice much more comfortable with the peaceful tone. "I am the one called Sorceress Yume. Please, allow me to heal your wound."

Raphael could not find the words to speak. He merely gaped at Yume as she slowly knelt before him, her eyes on his leg. It took him a moment to make the connection, but he soon realized that this being was the one Usagi had referred to as Yume-sama, Akumu's sister.

She touched a single long finger to his open sore where Akumu had stung him, saying, "My sister's poison is fearsome, but the spirits have created us in such a way to allow me to undo a good deal of her workings. Unfortunately, I find much of my time spent on being forced to do just that."

As she stood, Raphael followed her with his eyes, then blinked. His mind was clear. He no longer felt as though his insides were being grounded into a pulp. He cautiously moved his leg, and let out a relieved exhalation when he saw that it obeyed his commands. With Noriyuki's help, Raphael managed to make it up to his feet.

"Thanks," he said, still stunned by everything. "I feel… I feel like a million bucks." Yume smiled at him uncertainly and told him that she would take that as a good sign.

"Tomoe Ame!" Raphael's relief flooded away when he saw Lord Noriyuki scamper off towards the still body of Tomoe. Gennosuke was crouched besides Usagi, anxiously trying to rouse him. As Noriyuki fell besides Tomoe, Raphael couldn't take it anymore. He turned and looked towards his brothers.

As he moved away, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Raphael-san," said Yume in her comforting tone. "Go to Michelangelo. I will go to your other brothers. There is nothing you can do for them now." Though the words cut into him, Raphael used his distress to catapult him towards Michelangelo.

Stepping lightly, Yume moved silently towards the slain brothers, closing her eyes momentarily at the destruction her sister had caused. "Two warriors," she murmured thinly, stooping down and grabbing hold of the hilts of the swords imbedded in each turtle, "brought down only because of their love for one another. Destroyed over feelings of revenge and guilt." With a grimace, she pulled the weapons out and threw them aside. "Your world would do well to learn to see the good in what you have, rather than focus upon what has been taken away."

She peered over her shoulder, seeing Gennosuke helping a drowsy Usagi over to her. She asked if he was all right, and Gennosuke replied that the rabbit had simply blacked out, and seemed to be in the best shape of anyone else in the vicinity. Seeing the image past Yume, Usagi stopped, his eyes widening. "Leonardo-san!"

Gennosuke quickly put his arms around Usagi, preventing the rabbit from getting any closer to the spectacle. "Yume-sama! What has happened? I did not… I… please, tell me! I had nothing to do with this deed, did I?" Grateful that the samurai had arrived after she had discarded of his own sword that had struck Leonardo down, Yume smiled sadly and shook her head. Though this did little to appease Usagi's grief, it at least allowed him to live with himself.

A wail rose up from the room, which Usagi immediately recognized as Noriyuki. Stepping out of Gennosuke's large arms, he looked behind him and saw that the young lord was holding Tomoe's body against him, sobbing. His cloak of melancholy growing ever-more suffocating, Usagi whispered, "Tomoe Ame."

"Poor girl," Gennosuke commented. His inherent brusqueness helped anchor Usagi into reality before he drowned amidst his sorrows. "She had been missing for days, and I knew when I saw her earlier today that there was something odd about her. I would have never guessed that Akumu the Witch would have had dealings with her if I hadn't overheard part of her conversation with you. Whatever happened to her, it's clear she died with honor."

"I wish there was something I could do for the girl," Yume said. "However, she is gone, and is in a much happier place than this. The only individuals that I can do anything for are those who passed while within the Dreamscape."

Usagi looked up at Yume, hoping against hope. "Then… does this mean…?" Instead of answering, she simply knelt down besides Donatello and Leonardo, looking at the two brothers in an almost maternal way. As she looked upon them, she placed one thin, long, pale hand on each of their sword wounds.

"Akumu would not allow them to do away with one another so quickly after spending so long to make her move," she answered absently. "Though they no longer breathe, their spirits are most assuredly trapped within the Dreamscape, waiting to be manipulated by Akumu for her and Hebi's amusement."

She said nothing else as she closed her eyes in concentration, searching for the wandering souls of the two young fighters. Behind her, Usagi and Gennosuke stood silently, holding their breaths and waiting for a miracle.

Some yards away from them, Raphael was on his knees and holding Michelangelo's head in his lap. A few tears sped down his cheeks as he stared at his brother's wounds. Michelangelo looked as though he had received a terrible burn on his right shoulder, corroding and misshaping his shell on that side. Bruises lined his arms, and it seemed as though his middle digit on his left hand was broken. But the worst, the absolute worst of it all, was what had happened just over where his heart was.

It seemed as though Akumu had managed to get him close to her mouth, biting deep into him. The flesh looked as though it had been shredded, and whatever wasn't bleeding profusely was drenched in a sticky, smoking fluid that reeked of death and decay. And yet… yet still he lived.

It wouldn't be for very long, however. Raphael knew this, and Michelangelo undoubtedly knew this as well. His mouth was forever moving, softly reminiscing with his brother about times gone by. "Remember the night we went topside after the mousers crashed our pad and you got locked in that van? Hah, you musta felt like a putz. What about that time that I helped out the Silver Sentry and became the coolest superhero ever? Second to nobody. Seriously, Nobody was awesome. Wonder what his life is like right about now…."

"Mikey, will you quit it?" Michelangelo gaped up at his brother's harsh outcry. Looking away, ashamed of his outburst, Raphael murmured, "This ain't the time. Not when you're like this."

"What are you talking about, Raph?" Raphael slowly moved his eyes back to look at Michelangelo at the sound of his oddly optimistic tone of voice. "If this isn't the time, then when _is_?

"Raph… you didn't expect us to stay this way forever, did you? Once Splinter was gone, we shoulda all known… that sometimes we just need to let go. We just gotta sit back and enjoy life while we've still got it… and if we gotta go, we go strong. I _liked_ the times I got to spend with you and Leo and Donnie and April and Casey, and all the rest. And yeah, I wish I coulda stuck around a little longer… but there are some things we can change, and some things we can't. This is one of the things we can't change."

Noting the crushed expression on Raphael's face, Michelangelo stopped. "Quit it, Mikey," Raphael sobbed. "Just stop. You're in no position to give me life lessons 'n food for thought or none 'a that, so let me bawl a little for the first time in my life, okay? Jeez, don't you know what I feel like? I come in here, ready to get Donnie back and help Leo get over some stupid nightmares, and the next thing I know, I'm snoozin' on the floor while everyone's gettin' canned. I wake up and can't do nuthin' but give you a lousy sai because I can't pick myself up, and I gotta watch you get flung around like volleyball. So don't think I'm just gonna sit here and listen to some cheesy speech from an after school special about how we can't change things. I _coulda_ changed everything, with an extra dodge or another jump or a harder punch. But I didn't, and now-"

"And now you sound just like Leo when Splinter died." Raphael blinked at the quiet words, frustrated because he knew them to be true. "Next," Michelangelo went on, "you're gonna end up finding somebody to yell at for you not being good enough to resurrect everyone in the building. Look, I'm not gonna try and pull a Sensei and claim that there's some big lesson to learn from all of this. But if you're gonna take _anything_ away from tonight, it's that feeling guilty about the 'could-haves' and 'should-haves' don't accomplish nothing… nothing but nightmares."

_Nightmares... nightmares._

As he spoke the word, Michelangelo allowed himself to lean back against Raphael's lap, looking just beyond his brother. Ever since Splinter had died, Michelangelo had felt as though he never got to prove himself. Other than winning the Battle Nexus Championship because of a fluke, he often wondered if the lessons Splinter had spent much of his life teaching had any visible impact on Michelangelo's life. Now, he had had a chance to prove himself. He remembered a dim realization from only minutes ago, in which he understood that failure would mean the end. His eyesight dimming around the edges, Michelangelo asked, "Did I fail, Raph?"

Fresh tears spilled from Raphael's eyes. Michelangelo had been so lucid just seconds ago, making Raphael hope that his injuries only looked worse than they actually were. But now, seeing the glassy look over Michelangelo's eyes, Raphael came to terms with the fact that he would have to accept the truth. "No, Mikey," he choked out. "You did good."

Raphael watched as a smile slowly broke out over Michelangelo's face. He heard someone stepping in behind him, but he didn't dare look away. He never got a chance to be with Splinter at the end, nor had he seen Leonardo and Donatello go down. He was determined not to turn away from the last piece of his family.

Michelangelo closed his eyes. Though pain wracked through his entire body, he finally felt as though he was at peace. He had come through. When it really mattered, he had come through. "Then I won't have nightmares anymore," he whispered.

Raphael wondered over this, looking at Michelangelo's face and then his broken body. He watched as Michelangelo's chest rose with a breath, lowered as he exhaled… and never moved again.

After a long time, the person behind him spoke. "Raphael?" Raphael stared straight ahead as he heard Usagi's voice. His face was streaked with tears, and it was Usagi's pregnant pause that made him wonder how long he had been sobbing for.

"I have some news for you, my friend," the rabbit continued, deciding to stay out of Raphael's line of sight. "Your brother Michelangelo was fortunate enough to have evaded Akumu's nightmarish attacks. This means that his spirit was not trapped in the Dreamscape, and he is at rest. However, as for your brothers who _were_ in the Dreamscape at the time of their unfortunate battle… Yume-sama was able to bring their spirits back into their bodies."

The words elicited a barrage of emotions from Raphael. He turned and gawked at Usagi, his mouth agape. From the corner of his eye, some distance away, he saw that the two still figures of Leonardo and Donatello had merged, signaling that the two were in a tearful embrace. Raphael was quickly overjoyed, but then remembered about Michelangelo. Because Michelangelo had saved himself from Akumu, he wouldn't be able to benefit from Yume's powers. He was gone. Gone forever.

He stood quickly, causing Usagi to back away in concern. "What do you intend to do?" Usagi asked him. Turning towards his brothers and the sorceress who looked down on them, Raphael knew what he intended to do. He intended to plead with Yume, asking if there was anything she could do for Michelangelo. Just look at him, please, _look at him_, and say that there was something she could do to give him even just a few extra hours until-

"_There are some things we can change, and some things we can't. This is one of the things we can't change."_

Raphael stopped and looked back at Michelangelo. He remembered thinking that his little brother was finally growing up… and now he would stop growing. _This is one of the things we can't change._ Maybe there was a plateau, a plain, a final level in the video game. And when we're done, maybe it's time to just turn the television off, and do something else. Maybe that was why Michelangelo took this so peaceably while Raphael… couldn't. Raphael was still searching for more, rather than being content with what he had. And right now, thanks to Yume… he had Leonardo and Donatello.

The two brothers held each other tightly, their needless apologies coming out in rushed voices and overlapping with one another. Yume watched on, her perpetual sad smile still on her face. It was a very long time before they managed to part and looked into one another's eyes.

"Donnie," Leonardo gasped, his face wet with his tears. "Donnie, I…." Donatello tried to shush him, but Leonardo wouldn't be quieted. "After Sensei died, do you remember? I yelled at you. Screamed. Like a madman. I didn't ask if you were okay, I wasn't glad that you were safe, even though you had been out of my sight for nearly ten minutes. All I did was shout at you for being-"

"Too passive," Donatello finished, his voice rough with emotion. "Yeah, Leo, I remember. Maybe you were right… but that doesn't matter now. It doesn't matter. We're okay. We were guided back."

At this, he looked up at Yume. "Thank you, Yume-sama. To think, the only reason I came here was because I didn't trust you. Please, forgive me for that."

The words were hardly out of his mouth when Yume informed him, "If not for your proper distrust, Leonardo-san would have been captured in your stead, and you and your other brothers immediately killed. By coming into a strange land for your brother's sake, you have single-handedly spared the majority of your family."

Both Donatello and Leonardo froze. "The majority?" Leonardo asked, his blood turning into ice inside his veins.

Yume's smooth pallid face wrinkled with worry. "There is one whose presence I did not detect in the Dreamscape at all tonight. Unfortunately, this is also the one who seems to be gravely injured."

"Not anymore." The three of them turned and looked back at Raphael. He was standing a few feet behind Yume, and the two brothers noticed that they had never seen him with such a facial expression on his face. It seemed as though he bore a strange combination of depression and appreciation. "He ain't injured no more," he said lowly. "Mikey's just sleepin' without any nightmares. Like all 'a us are gonna eventually do."

Shocked, Donatello leapt to his feet to run from wherever Raphael had come. Raphael held him back. "Don, no," Raphael told him quietly, even as Donatello struggled to look behind him. "It'll be easier if you don't."

"Yes," Yume said softly, offering a hand to the horror-struck Leonardo. As she helped him to his feet, she spoke, "There has been enough heartache here. You have lost a brother, and Lord Noriyuki has lost a very dear friend."

"Tomoe Ame?" Leonardo asked, dumbfounded. "She's-?" Yume silenced him with a single nod.

"It could not be helped," Yume told him. "She was weak from exhaustion and suffering. I fear that she was possibly beyond help at the time of her death, and only worsened her condition to protect Usagi-san."

Taking all of this in, Leonardo looked past Raphael. Yume's arrival dispelled some of the inky darkness of the room, allowing him to see Gennosuke and Usagi comforting the young Noriyuki as he sobbed over his lost friend's body. His vision wavering from the tears that threatened to overflow, Leonardo looked away, only to see the motionless form of Michelangelo.

He quickly shifted his gaze and saw that Donatello was hugging Raphael and weeping. Raphael seemed devastated, but still hopeful. Looking up, he met Leonardo's eyes and held out an arm, inviting him into the embrace. The tears finally spilling, Leonardo joined them. In a low voice, Raphael managed to explain his somewhat positive outlook in five hushed words. "I'm glad you're okay, bro."

"We've won," Donatello breathed. "We've won… so why does it feel like we've lost?" It was true. With Michelangelo's help, the three of them had managed to overcome Akumu and survive the night, denying Lord Hebi success. Now that someone as powerful as Yume was involved, it would surely be seen to that something was done to permanently rid them of Hebi's assaults. It was over. Their enemies were gone. They were one brother less… but that brother made it possible for the three of them to live on.

They did not know how long they remained in that embrace, but at length they finally parted, their faces discolored by the lines of dried tears. Donatello righted himself and, glancing behind Raphael, caught sight of Usagi leading a still-mourning Noriyuki over to them as Gennosuke gathered up Tomoe's body. His arm protectively over Noriyuki, Usagi quietly told them, "Dawn is approaching. Gennosuke and I must bring Lord Noriyuki and… Tomoe Ame to the Shogun, and explain what has happened. It would be best if you came with us, Yume-sama."

As Yume nodded and moved towards the group, Donatello stepped forward. "Usagi," he said. "Please, forgive me for whatever harm I caused you. If you could only see what it was that Akumu made me believe-"

"I do not have to see it," Usagi told him. "And your apologies are not at all necessary. I knew what Akumu was capable of, which was why I was so anxious to rid your brother of her curse. Your behavior, along with that of Leonardo-san's, is forgiven, and long forgotten."

Having hoped that Usagi had not been affronted by the rough way he had spoken to him before, Leonardo thanked him. Together, the two turtles bowed low to the samurai, who returned the gesture. "Though my heart grieves for Michelangelo," Usagi added, "I am glad that his sacrifice was not in vain, and that the three of you have survived. As for Tomoe Ame, I cannot help but believe that she fell while protecting me, and for that, she will never be forgotten. I will carry on her duty and care for Lord Noriyuki as best as I can."

With final farewell bows, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael paid their goodbyes to Usagi, Gennosuke, and Noriyuki. The latter trio turned towards Yume, who was standing besides a shimmering white portal in the wall. "Though I already know your answer," she offered after the small group disappeared through the portal, "I will tell you that your brother can remain in this land, to be given a hero's burial with the girl. The people have long wanted to see my sister gone, and news of her 'mysterious' end will call for such an event."

"No, thank you," Leonardo answered quickly, thankful that Michelangelo was not yet referred to as a "body," but still their brother. "I think… I think he'd be happier back home." With a sad, small laugh, he threw in, "He'd probably want to be buried with his comic books.

As Donatello repressed a sob at Leonardo's comment, Raphael stepped towards Yume. "Listen, if there's anything I can do, just name it. I mean, if it weren't for you, my family would be completely gone."

Her smile widening ever so slightly, Yume told him, "Your family will never be gone, Raphael-san. Not so long as you think back on them fondly. As you grow older and lose one another to age or sickness, you would do well to remember that. As the old adage goes, life is but a dream."

Giving Raphael a moment to reflect on this, Yume walked towards him and handed him a small pouch. "Use this to return you to your homeworld. Simply concentrate on where you wish to go, and blow the enclosed dust out into the space before you." As he accepted the pouch, Yume placed one hand of his. "And remember, Raphael-san," she finished. "Focus not on what is lost to you, but on what you carry in your heart."

"I know," Raphael told her as she stepped away. "There are some things I just can't change." Peering behind him at his two remaining brothers, he smirked, "Hear that, guys? No use dwelling on what's in the past. Roll with the punches. This message brought to you by NBC." He was glad to hear quiet chuckles coming from both of them. They would get through this. They would.

Raphael turned back in time to see the last wisp of Yume's kimono flutter away into the portal. The light slowly dimmed as the gateway went out, leaving the brothers alone in the dark room. With Yume now gone, a strong sense of desolation clung to the very air they breathed, encouraging them to move. "Come on," Leonardo told Raphael as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get Mikey."

With heavy hearts, the three turtles walked towards where their slain brother lay. Raphael cringed, hoping that the sight of the gaping gash on his chest or the horrendous burn on his shoulder wouldn't further upset the others. They stood there for a moment, merely staring down at Michelangelo. "Three alive, one gone," Raphael suddenly whispered without meaning to. "Better than three gone and one alive."

Donatello stepped up and crouched besides Michelangelo. With a deep breath, he put his hands under his shoulders as he stared into his face. As Leonardo grabbed Michelangelo's legs, Donatello lowly remarked, "Funny. I don't think I've seen him this happy in a long time."

Feeling numb, Leonardo hoisted him up as he said, "He must be having a good dream." Raphael turned away from them and opened the pouch, smiling a wan smile as he thought of Michelangelo's last words. _I won't have nightmares anymore_.

As he thought of their lair and blew the strange white powder into the air, Raphael was willing to bet that, though he would be in a melancholy mood for a long time thereafter, Leonardo wouldn't have any nightmares either. Not now that he knew that they would always be a family: four brothers and a father. This is the way it was meant to be, and this was the way it always will be… in their memories…

… and in their dreams.

END.


End file.
